HEBRON, West Bank, Jan 19 (AFP-NT) - A small group of American Christian social workers and farmers have set up an unofficial peacekeeping force between Jewish settlers and Palestinian Moslems in the flashpoint town of Hebron. During the Palestinian elections on Saturday, they see their task as "unofficial observers, to keep an eye on the settlers, to make sure there is no provocation, no violence on the streets," said spokesman Jeff Heie, 28. Since June, with the approval of the West Bank town's municipality in contrast to "death threats" from the 400 settlers living among 120,000 Palestinians, four "peace church" members have tried to help maintain order. The Israeli army has since detained three of them in two separate incidents, involving entry into a "closed military zone" and helping Palestinians to tear down a gate barring access to the market. "We see ourselves as advocates for Palestinian families being harassed by settlers. We mount street patrols near the settlements, especially on the sabbath," said Heie. For the settlers, the Mennonites and Church of the Brethren members -- close to the Quakers -- are anything but a welcome addition to an already tension-filled town. "They're very clearly pro-Arab." The settlers said they planned a peaceful demonstration for the Palestinian self-rule polls, which they reject along with the rest of the autonomy deals as a sell-out of Greater Israel as laid down in the Bible. hc/ch AFP /AA1234/181610 GMT JAN 96

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