AMERICAN EMBASSY HOSTS POT PARTY

JERUSALEM - Leaders of Israel's pro-marijuana party, who may win their
first parliament seat in next week's national elections, were unexpectedly
invited to the U.S. Embassy yesterday to explain their make-pot-not-war
program.

Members of the Green Leaf Party, whose emblem is an Israeli flag with a
marijuana leaf, said they were asked by U.S. officials about their
legislative agenda - in particular whether they support legalization of
drugs other than pot.

Dan Greenblatt, the second-ranked party candidate on Tuesday's ballot, was
pleased by the invitations because he said the embassy usually invites only
those parties already represented in the 120-seat Knesset.

Despite the crowded field of 29 parties, polls indicate Green Leaf is close
to winning one seat.

Party members say their strength is unknown because a much larger
percentage of Israelis smokes pot than are questioned by pollsters.

"It's illogical to turn 1 million law-abiding citizens in Israel into
criminals," the party's commercials say.

Green Leaf not only advocates legalizing pot, but also planting it in toxic
waste dumps to soak up heavy metals.

Israel's volatile political scene is so unsettled that according to the
latest poll, an anti-clerical faction may become the second largest party.

The Shinnui Party, which vows to cut government perks for Orthodox Jews,
may outpoll the Labor Party, the party of past prime ministers such as
Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Ehud Barak, the Yediot Achronoth poll
found. Both run well behind Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud Party.

With Post Wire Services