WASHINGTON, PARIS

Americans increasingly blame the Palestinians for violence in the Middle East, a Newsweek poll released Saturday finds.

The poll found that:

- Nearly half of the respondents blame the Palestinians for the violence, while 12% blame the Israelis - compared with 42% and 11%, respectively, in a December poll.

- 70% said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was an obstacle to peace, while 63% thought that in December. By comparison, 40% said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was hurting peace prospects; the figure was 35% in December.

- Nearly two-thirds said they think that Arafat cannot control extremist Palestinian groups responsible for the violence while 44% think that Sharon cannot control extremists on his side.

- More than three-fourths said it was very or somewhat likely that violence in the region might lead to a wider war involving other Middle East countries.

- People were nearly split on whether the United States should favor creating a Palestinian state - 44% said no and 39% said yes.


Peace Rally Against Israel 

Over ten thousand protesters took to the streets of the French capital, Paris on Saturday to call for a "just and lasting peace in the Middle East." Several pro-Palestinian groups held banners describing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as a "war criminal in office."

Among the big names at the demonstration was actress Juliette Binoche. She said she was not there to take sides, but to call for dialogue. She added that "the Palestinians should have the right to declare their own state."

The protest was organised by about fifty groups including political parties like the Greens and Communists, trade unions and the Human Rights League.The President of the League demanded that Europe work to find a sollution to the conflict which would respect the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians.