December 14, 1998

Ben Brantley reviews David Hare play The Blue Room, directed by Sam Mendes, at Cort Theater; photo of Nicole Kidman and Iain Glen (M)

John Tierney column on Giuliani administration's ejection of Black Israelite preachers from Times Square; contends that all sidewalk preachers, sketch artists, musicians and assorted hustlers should be banned from Times Square (M)

Pres Clinton, forced to confront issue of impeachment, reluctantly interrupts efforts to rescue Middle East peace plan during visit to Jerusalem by addressing vote in Congress he says he cannot control; tells news conference his deposition in Paula Corbin Jones's sexual misconduct case was 'difficult and ambiguous and unhelpful,' but expresses none of recent remorse about affair with former intern, Monica S Lewinsky; says coming Congressional vote on impeachment is out of his hands; reportedly makes calls to two Democratic members of House Judiciary Committee to assess situation; makes most forthright appeal to members of House to consider censure as alternative; says approximately three-quarters of American people believe it is right thing to do; dismisses calls by Republican moderates who might support censure for admission that he lied under oath; both he and Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu seem far apart and peace initiative is in doubt as each try to grapple with complex interplay of domestic and foreign concerns; Clinton receives pugnacious reception from Netanyahu, who repeatedly reminds him at state dinner of Israel's fears and determination; lectures Clinton on Jews' lonely and turbulent history in presence of Israeli leaders whose support his Govt needs; reminds Clinton of ancient Jewish ties to Gaza and Bethlehem, Palestinian-controlled areas that Clinton will visit in next two days; Clinton repeatedly affirms American commitment to Israeli security, but also promotes Wye agreement, which calls for Israel to withdraw in phases from additional 13 percent of West Bank in exchange for Palestinian steps against terrorism; joins Pres Ezer Weizman in lighting first candle of Hanukkah; places oval stone, reportedly taken from Wye River, on tombstone of late Prime Min Yitzhak Rabin; photo (M)

THE UNCOMMITTED -- Representative Jim Leach, Republican of Iowa, has been besieged with voters' calls for him to vote for and against the impeachment of President Clinton. Page A25.

Several small case studies find increasing incidence of Type 2 or adult-onset diabetes in children which doctors previously believed occurred mostly during middle age or later; researchers cite spiraling rate of childhood obesity in America as most significant factor; speculate rise results from both increased incidence of disease and increased awareness of it by primary-care physicians; National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys find number of obese children has doubled in last two decades; one in five children in America is overweight, with poor minority children who often eat large amounts of junk food and have few neighborhood recreation programs at greatest risk; children affected by disease are mostly African-American and Hispanic, with particularly high rate among children of Mexican descent; most have close relatives with disease and almost all are obese; photo (M)