Gore Welcomed, But Palestinians Skeptical

In a sign of changing times, U.S. flags fluttered proudly from homes in this PLO-ruled town Friday instead of being burned by angry Palestinians in street protests.

The occasion was a visit by Vice President Al Gore, who met with PLO chief Yasser Arafat and pledged $65 million in fresh U.S. aid to the Palestinian government.

Still, the promises rang hollow for many Palestinians.

“We’ve been hearing of hundreds of projects and millions of dollars in aid, but we don’t see anything on the ground,” said vegetable dealer Waheed Dweik.