September 11, 1993

City investigators looking into New York City Comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman's receipt of a 1992 campaign loan from the Fleet Bank have referred a possible bank fraud case to the Manhattan United States Attorney, a source familiar with their report said early today.

As White House ceremonies go, this one is in a class by itself. The signing of the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement on the South Lawn on Monday morning is the hottest ticket since Egypt and Israel made peace in March 1979 -- at least for non-Presidents. George Bush and Jimmy Carter will be there, but three other former Presidents will not. Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford said they had scheduling conflicts, and Richard Nixon declined.

For the 37 million Americans who now lack health insurance, and the tens of millions more who may find themselves without it in the next few years when they lose or change jobs, the appeal of the Clinton proposal is obvious: guaranteed coverage regardless of employment status, age or illness. But the majority of Americans who are already decently insured and happy with their own doctors may have a harder time deciding about their own prospects.

After seven months of secret deliberations, President Clinton has settled on a bold plan to guarantee health insurance for all Americans while vastly expanding Federal power to control private spending on medical care. Lobbyists and lawmakers feasted on fresh details of the proposal today as they pried loose a bootleg copy of the closely guarded document on which Mr. Clinton has staked his Presidency. The document, which had been available for inspection only by key staff members on Capitol Hill, is an authoritative compilation of ideas embraced by the President and Hillary Rodham Clinton, who supervised development of the plan and has been selling it in Congress. [ Major sections of the final draft are on page 8. ]

Surprising News on Inflation Producer price inflation was surprisingly low in August, helped by plunging tobacco prices. The news propelled stock and bond prices. Page 37.

As he signed a starchily worded letter declaring Israel's recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin said today that history had handed Israel a chance for reconciliation with the rest of the Arab world and not just the Palestinians. "I believe that there is a great opportunity of changing not only the relations between the Palestinians and Israel but to expand it to the solution of the conflict between Israel and other Arab countries and other Arab peoples," Mr. Rabin said at a signing ceremony whose simplicity belied the seismic shift it represented in Middle East relationships.

Welcoming patrons to his stylish new restaurant here, Elon Carneiro Coelho's eye was caught one recent evening by the bust of an ancient Greek healer brooding in a wall niche across a narrow cobblestone street. "My father studied medicine there," he said, waving toward Brazil's first medical school, a decaying neoclassical landmark of Salvador's historic center, the Pelourinho. "But my generation always avoided coming here. Despite the historic buildings, we always saw the Pelourinho as ugly, rundown, dangerous."

International 2-6 ISRAEL SEES WIDER PEACE Signing a stiffly worded letter declaring recognition of the P.L.O., Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel said history had handed his country a chance for reconciliation with the rest of the Arab world, and not just the Palestinians. Expectations are high that Israel and Jordan could reach a draft agreement of their own in the next few days. 1 SURVEYING DECADES OF HATRED Even during the depths of the cold war, neither Americans nor Russians looked across the Iron Curtain with the hatred that has so often fed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 6 SETTLERS FEELING IGNORED For most of the roughly 130,000 Isaelis living in settlements scattered throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, this is a time of worry, uncertainty, fear and anger. 4 HOTTEST TICKET IN WASHINGTON In addition to the two parties and their delegations, close to 2,500 people have been invited to the signing of the Israeli-Palestinian peace accord on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday morning. 1 A P.L.O. aide suggested that Yasir Arafat might attend the signing. 5 P.L.O. backers marched in Gaza to support mutual recognition. 4 Egypt draws great satisfaction from the pending peace agreement. 5 U.S. BLAMES SOMALI CROWD American and United Nations officials blamed Somali fighters who ambushed a United Nations convoy for the scores of civilian casualties incurred during a battle on Thursday in Mogadishu. 3 SERBS BARRAGE CROATIAN TOWN In some of the fiercest fighting in Croatia since war broke out there more than two years ago, Serbs pounded a garrison town in Croatia with artillery and vowed to retake three villages that were captured on Thursday in a Croatian attack. 3 POPE SKIRTS DISPUTE IN ESTONIA Winding up his tour of the Baltic republics, Pope John Paul II visited the Estonian capital and pointedly declined to respond to a call to back Estonia's campaign for the withdrawal of Russian troops. 3 A square blooms as a Brazilian city embraces historic preservation. 2 National 7-10 CLINTON HEALTH PLAN UNVEILED The President has settled on a plan to guarantee health insurance for all Americans while vastly expanding Federal power to control private spending on medical care. 1 A MAJOR UNDERTAKING News analysis: The Administration's health care plan is imposing not just in its intricacy, but also in its political boldness. 1 HARD CHOICES FOR AMERICANS The many Americans who are already decently insured may have a hard time deciding about their prospects under the health proposal. 1 RESHAPING THE HEALTH INDUSTRY The Administration's plan could accelerate trends that are already reshaping the work of doctors, hospitals and insurance companies. 10 RELENTING ON TRADE BATTLE The House majority whip retreated from his plans to use all the resources of his office against the North American Free Trade Agreement. 7 ACTION AFTER IMPLANT SETTLEMENT Dow Corning's announcement that it would settle lawsuits over its breast implants has prompted many women to call lawyers. 7 A BUSH AIDE FACES PUNISHMENT An aide to George Bush faces jail or fines for refusing to turn over records of her role in the search of Bill Clinton's passport files. 7 Jack Kevorkian assisted in another suicide. 7 Religion notes: The Middle East accord forced some new liturgy. 27 Metro Digest B1 Business Digest D1 Weekend C1-28 American fashion at the Met. C1 A landsman goes whale-watching. C1 Poster art for collectors. C1 Kasparov and Short draw in Game 2. C21 For Children C23 Theater: Critic's Notebook C2 Film: "Samba Traore." C3 "True Romance." C5 "The Seventh Coin." C5 "Leon the Pig Farmer." C8 "Crush." C8 "The Real McCoy." C10 Restaurants C20 Art: Modern's director resigns. C3 Self-portraits in prints and photographs. C13 Movement monger's many moods. C19 Arthur Murphy's Social Realism. C25 Books: "A Tidewater Morning." C27 Television: TV Weekend D18 Sports B11-17 Baseball: Abbott can't enjoy his no-hitter. B11 Owners approve realignment. B11 Blue Jays lose another. B12 Columns: Vecsey on U.S. Open. B11 Anderson on Chavez-Whitaker. B17 Tennis: Pioline and Masur in semifinals. B11 Obituaries B10 Helen O'Connell, big-band singer. Editorials/Op-Ed A26-27 Editorials Beyond the shock of recognition. Judge Wachtler heads for prison. A start on national service. For City Council from Brooklyn. Letters A. M. Rosenthal: Bosnia -- empty promises. Roger Harrison: Israel can live with the risks. Joseph Nocera: Bulls, bears and us. Bridge C21 Chronicle B4 Crossword C26

Not since Medicare was enacted in 1965 have the political constellations been so clearly in the right place for fundamental health reform. - SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY. [ 9:2. ]

An article in Business Day on Thursday about management changes at the Woolworth Corporation misstated the number of the company's variety stores in the United States. It is 900.

The About New York column on Wednesday referred incorrectly to an incident at the Labor Day parade in Manhattan. It was a member of the honor guard who had salty words for photographers; it was not Lane Kirkland, the A.F.L.-C.I.O. president.

A movie review on Wednesday about "The Joy Luck Club" referred incompletely to the previous credits of one star, France Nuyen. She starred in "The World of Suzie Wong" on Broadway, not in the movie. In the film, Suzie Wong was played by Nancy Kwan.