1.
GV PAN P.M. Office
0.06

2.
GV Golda Meir enters
0.10

3.
SV Fukunga arrives & enters (2 shots)
0.27

4.
SV Fukunga & Meir seated at table
0.37

5.
LV Nazareth
0.38

6.
CU Sign "Welcome"
0.40

7.
SV Pilgrims shown round basilica of Annunciation (3 shots)
1.00

8.
SV & CU Pilgrims ants bus
1.07

9.
SV INT. Pilgrims travel to Tiberias (2 shots)
1.12

10.
GV PAN Pilgrims
1.28

11.
GV Pilgrims (2 shots)
1.28

12.
CU Israeli flag (2 shots)
1.38

13.
GVs Second Century Synagegue ruins (2 shots)
1.44

14.
GV & SV Pilgrims look at ruins (5 shots)
2.00



Initials SGM/0331 SGM/0355



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A special Japanese envoy met with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in Jerusalem on Sunday (5 June) to convey his government's condolences for last week's massacre at Lydda Airport.

The envoy, Mr Kneji Fukunga, told Mrs Meir: "we know the three murderers were Japanese and we ask you to forgive us for this". The attack at Lydda was carried out by three Japanese terrorists working for Palestinian guerrillas.

When the gunmen opened fire with machineguns and hand grenades 27 people died and 80 were wounded. Among the dead were 15 members of a group of pilgrims from Puerto Rico.

Despite their heavy, personal less, 25 survivors of the Puerto Rican group have decided to continue their pilgrimage, hoping the religious uplift will overcome their grief. The pilgrims spent Saturday touring the holy places in Nazareth and around the Sea of Gallilee.

Mr Fukunga, the Japanese envoy, attended a special ceremony for the murdered Puerto Ricans at Lydda Airport before the bodies were flown home in U.S. military aircraft.

SYNOPSIS: Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir arrived at her office in jerusalem on Saturday to receive special Japanese envoy, Mr Kenji Fukunga. His mission was to convey his government's condolences for last Tuesday's massacre at Lydda Airport where 27 died when three Japanese gunmen working for Palestinian guerrillas opened firs. Eighty others were injured. Mr Fukunga asked Mrs Meir to forgive Japan for the actions of his countryman. Later, at a press conference, the envoy said the Prime Minister had told them that the tragedy had made both countries "brothers in adversity".

Meanwhile, 25 survivors of the Puerto Rican pilgrims who bare the brunt of the terrorists' violence continued their planned tour of holy places despite the less of 15 of their number during the gun-and-grenade attack. The pilgrims decided to go ahead with their plans hoping the religious uplift would help overcome their personal grief.

After visiting N???th, they bearded buses for a t??? to other Christian shrines around the Sea of Galliles. The leader of the pilgrimage was not with the party. He stayed behind in Jerusalem to arrange for the bodies of the 15 dead to be airlifted back to Puerto Rice.

Before the dead ware flown home in a U.S. military aircraft, a special ceremony for the murdered Puerto Ricans was held at Lydda Airport. Among these attending was Mr Fukunga, the Japanese envoy. The pilgrims were expected to abandon earlier plans to visit Rome and Switzerland and to return instead to San Juan within a few days.