September 8, 1993

On his first trip to the West Bank two years ago to visit relatives, Ray Hanania, a Palestinian-American writer and political consultant from Chicago, said he had been strip-searched by the Israeli Army before he could even enter the area, then stopped twice more by the Israeli police as he walked through the streets where his father had grown up. A gun was pressed into the small of his back. He flashed his passport and was allowed to leave. Just routine, the police said.

Botanical Garden Seeks User-Friendly Approach The New York Botanical Garden is undertaking a seven-year, $165 million master plan to rebuild the landmark institution, both physically and philosophically. The Bronx garden is increasing its financing for research and turning its collections into more user-friendly exhibits. Page B1. A New Surgeon General After months of rancor caused by her outspokenness on abortion and sex education, Joycelyn Elders was confirmed by the Senate. Page A18. WNET Calls Program Untrue Channel 13 says a program portraying a black battalion liberating two Nazi camps was untrue. Page B1. When Will School Bells Ring? A setback in asbestos inspections raised new questions on when New York's schools would open. And in Chicago, parents adapted to another delay in classes. Pages B3 and B12. Courier and Becker Fall Jim Courier, the No. 1 player in men's tennis, and Boris Becker, seeded fourth, were the latest upset victims at the United States Open. Page B15.

The Economy Vice President Gore unveiled more than 800 recommendations that he said would streamline "old-fashioned, outdated Government," save $108 billion over five years and cut 252,000 Federal jobs by 1998. [ Page A1. ] The Administration's efforts to "reinvent" Government face the same inherent tensions that thwarted its predecessors. [ A1 ] Similar efforts in the private sector have produced decidedly mixed results. [ B10. ] President Clinton's health plan will call for a new Government program to help finance long-term care for people with severe disabilities, regardless of their age or income. [ A1. ] The White House appeared to back away from limiting tax deductions that employers may take for the cost of employee health benefits. [ B11. ] Markets The stock market retreated from its record-setting summer rally, pulled down by concerns about the economy. [ D1. ]

Two white drifters accused of abducting a black Brooklyn man on vacation in Florida and setting him on fire were found guilty here today of attempted murder, kidnapping and armed robbery. The verdict brought a quick and decisive end to a case that had been plagued by a series of judicial mishaps and disagreements. Mark Kohut and Charles Rourk, a pair of day laborers who were roommates in a trailer park in the central Florida town of Lakeland, now face the possibility of life in prison because of their attack on Christopher Wilson. On New Year's Day, Mr. Wilson, a 32-year-old stockbrokerage clerk, was visiting friends in Tampa when the two men decided to rob him. 'Agony and Frustration' In a statement read by prosecutors after the verdict was announced, Mr. Wilson said he was "happy to know that justice was served." But in the same statement, Mr. Wilson's mother, Enid Plummer, added, "As a black mother, never would I wish for anyone, black or white, to have to undergo the pain, agony and frustration we have been going through and are still going through."

There is a plywood fence around the Victorian conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden and the big glass rooms are being emptied of plants. Some are priceless treasures, because the species have vanished from the earth. The plant evacuation is the first step in a $21 million renovation of the elegant old Crystal Palace greenhouse -- and the start of a seven-year, $165-million master plan to rebuild, both physically and philosophically, one of the city's landmark institutions.