1.
GV Settlement at Shiloh.
0.03

2.
CU Stone sign post with Shiloh on it.
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GV PAN FROM Building TO people walking.
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CU Israeli flag PULL OUT TO GV Army trucks and security.
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SV AND CU's Children and parents planting trees. (3 shots)
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SV AND GV People chanting and carrying scrolls. (6 shots)
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GV Rabbi speaking to congregation with armed guards in foreground.
1.07

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GV AND SCU Rabbi speaking and people listening. (4 shots)
1.28

9.
GV Congregation listening with spotlight in foreground.
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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Israeli inhabitants of the West settlement at Shiloh attended a tree planting ceremony on Monday (23 January) to celebrate the Jewish Tu-Bi `Shvat, commonly known as Tree Day. The occasion was also used by a nationalist religious group -- the Gush Emunim -- to voice their disapproval of plans to return to the Arabs any land captured after the 1967 war.

SYNOPSIS: The settlement at Shiloh is on historic land. Situated north of Jerusalem, it was the centre of the Israelite tribal confederation under a series of high priests from about 1200-1050 B.C. Now the area is being extensively developed and populated by staunchly religious Jewish settlers.

The Jewish festival of Tu-bi `Shvat commemorates the new year for trees, and individuals are encouraged to plant trees to celebrate the event. The ceremony is traditional among Jews and takes on a highly religious flavour with the chanting of ancient rites. Sacred scrolls are also brought out for the occasion. This year however the settlers are alarmed at prospects that the land they inhabit may be repossessed under Arab sovereignty, as was proposed before the recent Israeli-Arab peace talks broken down.

The Gush Emunim are a militant religious movement who far from wanting to give up any Israel controlled territory, seek to establish more settlements in all parts of the West Bank. They have been among the leading critics of Prime Minister Begin's recent peace talks, believing that an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories would mean giving up large areas of land that belong to the jews by divine Biblical right.