Talks in Jordan between senior Israeli and Palestinian security officials have done little to ease tensions Brett McGurk, US National Security Council’s MENA coordinator, is tasked with halting escalation of hostilities AMMAN: Persistent clashes in the West Bank between Palestinians and Israeli settlers have forced the international community to intervene. But talks in Jordan between senior Israeli and Palestinian security officials appear to have done little to ease tensions or halt hostilities. During a summit in Jordan’s resort town of Aqaba on Sunday, Israeli and the Palestinian officials pledged in a joint statement to work together to prevent further outbreaks. Both sides “reaffirmed the need to commit to de-escalation on the ground and to prevent further violence.” However, a fresh wave of clashes appears to have shattered any slim hope of progress almost immediately. Two Israelis who lived in a West Bank settlement near Nablus were killed on Sunday, sparking revenge attacks in which a Palestinian man was killed, dozens of vehicles and buildings were torched, and more than 300 people were injured. The rampage by settlers in the Palestinian town of Huwara came just days after Israeli forces launched their deadliest West Bank raid in nearly 20 years, which left 11 Palestinians dead in Nablus. On Monday, an Israeli, who was also a US citizen, was killed in the West Bank city of Jericho. Many analysts believe Brett McGurk, the US National Security Council’s Middle East and North Africa coordinator, who is tasked with trying to prevent any further escalation of hostilities and facilitating wider engagement with the talks in Aqaba, has been handed an impossible mission. Khalil Jahshan, executive director of the Arab Center Washington D.C., believes the summit stood little chance of success from the outset. “It was rushed by the US administration, essentially to rescue Israel from its own foolish policies, without adequate preparation or groundwork,” he told Arab News. “Indeed, I considered the conference as both ill-conceived and ill-timed, considering recent political and military decisions by the Benjamin Netanyahu government, particularly its violent raids in Jenin, Nablus, and other occupied Palestinian towns. “Once the joint (Israeli-Palestinian) communique was issued on Feb. 26, I thought its fanciful words would not last till the upcoming follow-up session in mid-March. Aqaba was another wasted diplomatic effort, as long as the 55-year-old Israeli occupation of Palestine continues unimpeded, with direct or indirect US support.” Jahshan believes McGurk was presented with an insurmountable task. “How could he defuse the tensions between Israel and Palestine that his colleagues (National Security Adviser Jake) Sullivan, (CIA Director Bill) Burns, and (Secretary of State Antony) Blinken failed to secure from the Netanyahu government?” he said. McGurk came to the talks armed with a security plan. But experts said the region needs more than just security. Oraib Rantawi, director of Al-Quds Center for Political Studies in Amman, said a conditional, short-term ceasefire might be possible if Israeli authorities agree to put settlement building on hold, halt raids on Palestinian towns, and hold settlers to account for their actions. “But in terms of middle and long-term solutions, such de-escalation will fail unless there is a serious political process that can provide a political horizon for Palestinians,” he told Arab News. Rantawi believes only the US can orchestrate a conditional ceasefire and push ahead with efforts to establish such a political path. “Otherwise, the efforts of McGurk and any other US official are futile,” he said. Ori Nir, vice president of the Americans for Peace Now organization in Washington, told Arab News that three things are necessary to reduce the violence: “An Israeli government willing to confront the settlers and restrain its military actions in the West Bank; a capable, credible Palestinian government and security forces; and a US government willing to proactively enforce the Aqaba understandings. “None of these seem to be present. Therefore the prospects of success for McGurk’s mission are grim.” The West Bank is home to about 2.9 million Palestinians, along with an estimated 475,000 Jewish settlers who live in state-approved settlements considered illegal under international law. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 war. The settlers have been emboldened by Netanyahu’s return to power at the head of a coalition that includes ultra-Orthodox and extreme-right-wing parties. Botrus Mansour, a lawyer and expert in Israeli politics from Nazareth, believes the worsening security situation is a result of inexperienced radicals who have suddenly found themselves in power. “Before the swearing-in of this government, things were relatively quiet,” he said. “The current radical ministers were in opposition, always attacking the government for not doing enough. “And now that they are in government, now that they are in power, they have proven to be failures and their inexperience has been exposed.” Johnny Mansour, a political science professor in Haifa, told Arab News a lot of work is needed to restore a state of relative stability. “What is needed for quiet to return is a decision for a total cessation of both Israelis’ aggressive actions on the ground, and the verbal violence spoken by radical Israeli ministers,” he said. FASTFACTS • Dozens of Israeli settlers set homes and cars on fire in the northern West Bank town of Huwara overnight on Sunday. • The violence came after a day of talks between Israelis and Palestinian in Jordan designed to quell unrest in Palestinian territories. • Observers said the West Bank is experiencing some of the worst violence it has seen since the Second Intifada in 2005. “What is needed is to give people hope but this is far away now. Palestinians are not only under occupation, they are being humiliated so they have little to lose by revolting.” Hani Masri, director of the Masarat think tank in Ramallah, believes the key to reducing violence lies in halting all settlement-expansion activity, changing the status quo in Al-Aqsa, stopping punitive demolitions of Palestinian houses, and preventing the creeping annexation of Palestinian land. “We know that this will be rejected by Israel, and therefore there is no escaping a confrontation with this Kahanist (Zionist extremist) government that is seeking to annex, Judaize, and force people out,” he told Arab News. Zaha Hassan, a human rights lawyer and a fellow of the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Arab News that much of the violence is driven by Israeli authorities and their raids on Palestinian towns and refugee camps. “For the current violence to decrease, the Israelis need to believe that there are costly repercussions,” she said. “The US has many policy tools it could deploy. It has to make Israel believe it will use them. Instead, the Biden administration has done the opposite. Even a UN Security Council resolution condemning settlements is fought by the US, tooth and nail.” The endless cycle of violence has also undermined the Palestinian Authority. The activities of armed Palestinian groups have increased in recent months due, in part, to the security vacuum left by the government in Ramallah, which has chosen not to crack down on the revolt and, lately, refuses to coordinate on security issues with Israeli authorities. Johnny Mansour believes the security summit in Aqaba was an attempt to put pressure on the Palestinian Authority to rein in militant factions. “The Americans and the Israelis have tried, with Arab cover, to restrict the popular protests during the upcoming month of Ramadan, and what is even more important for Israel is the need for calm during the Passover holidays, which happen at the end of the holy month of Ramadan,” he said. Some analysts point out that there are many tools other than violent resistance that the Palestinians could utilize to strengthen their position, especially in terms of engagement with the international community. Mohammad Zahaika, a political activist in the Sawahreh neighborhood of East Jerusalem, supports a nonviolent response. “What is needed is a popular, nonviolent protest that can lead up to civil disobedience,” he told Arab News. “People here in East Jerusalem realize that they need to find ways to neutralize the powerful Israeli war machine and widen the gulf that is already going on in Israel.” He believes Ramadan, which will begin toward the end of March, could be the perfect time for popular protests that might challenge right-wing Israelis who, he says, have no interest in a peaceful resolution. He concedes, however, that much of the Palestinian public supports a strategy of armed resistance. “What we need is for external forces to be involved and even to provide protection and intervention to the Palestinian population. Only this way can the extremists be deterred,” Zahaika added. Rifaat Kassis, an elected member of the city council in Beit Sahour, agrees that Ramadan would be a good opportunity to promote unity. “The Palestinian Authority is in a difficult situation, whether things escalate or calm down,” he told Arab News. “What is needed is for a popular movement to be launched that attempts to unify Palestinians. This is a golden opportunity to unite all groups of Palestinians.” Jamal Dajani, a former head of communications in the Palestinian prime minister’s office, believes outside help could guarantee security. “Palestinians in the West Bank need international protection against attacks by Israeli colonial settlers, aided and abetted by the Israeli occupation army,” he told Arab News. He said the Palestinian Authority has failed to protect its people and so the only solution is to deploy UN forces, or other external troops, to provide that protection. “If not, more pogroms will be committed and Palestinians will be forced to defend themselves, regardless of their affiliation, or no affiliation,” Dajani added. The actions of Israeli authorities show they are intent on reshaping the West Bank and destroying the possibility of a viable Palestinian state, and with it any hope of lasting peace through a two-state solution, he said. “Security discussions are about providing security to Israeli settlers and not to Palestinians,” he added. Anees Sweidan, director of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s public relations department, said the escalation of violence represents the beginning of a new intifada, heralding a repeat of the violent uprisings of 1987 to 1993 and 2000 to 2005. “The crimes of the Israeli army and the settlers are increasing at a high speed and this cannot be stopped by a security understanding,” he told Arab News. “What is needed is a serious political process based on the two-state solution. Otherwise everything taking place is nothing more than sedation needles. I do not expect that to happen and therefore I do not see any major changes taking place.” Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and an adviser to Republican and Democratic administrations in the US, would like to see a political process established to resolve the conflict but is similarly doubtful there is much chance of that happening. “Without a political horizon, there is no long-term pathway to end the violence,” he told Arab News. “Short of a major effort to define a political horizon, with mutually reinforcing actions taken by each side to set the stage for negotiations on an end state, there is no way to end the violence. “There is no way, right now, that the current Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority could agree on this package — and it is almost certain Hamas would not.” Miller concedes that a temporary de-escalation might get Israelis and Palestinians through Ramadan and Passover without any serious incidents. “But it is only a matter of time before the next explosion will take place,” he added. Topics: PALESTINE ISRAEL EDITOR’S CHOICE Dubai Boat Show returns for 29th edition Dubai Boat Show returns for 29th edition Updated 11 min 38 sec ago ARAB NEWS March 01, 2023 21:06 51 The event, which runs from March 1 to 5, features 1,000 exhibitors and brands from more than 60 countries DUBAI: The 29th annual Dubai Boat Show was officially opened on Wednesday by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Maktoum, the chair of Dubai Media Council. The event, featuring 1,000 exhibiting companies and brands from more than 60 countries, is the largest maritime show in the Middle East, according to the Emirates News Agency. Organizers said it showcases the latest luxury superyachts and leisure craft, and gives boating enthusiasts a chance to check out what is on the market and the latest industry trends. Sheikh Ahmed was given a tour the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation pavilion at the show, where he was briefed on the Marine Craft Smart Inspection Project, which allows owners to have marine craft inspected and checked online by the Dubai Maritime City Authority. To ensure safety, key components of vessels are photographed and checked for compliance with safety and security standards. Sheikh Ahmed also visited the Dubai Police stall, and boat manufacturer Gulf Craft’s stand to see the debut of its much-anticipated 33.8-meter Majesty 111 yacht. The 29th Dubai Boat Show continues until March 5 at Dubai Harbor. Topics: DUBAI YACHT RELATED 122Dubai Pre-Owned Boat Show in November Dubai Pre-Owned Boat Show in November WHO chief visits rebel-held Syria for first time after quake WHO chief visits rebel-held Syria for first time after quake Updated 01 March 2023 AFP March 01, 2023 23:05 78 He visited several hospitals and a shelter for those displaced BAB AL-HAWA, Syria: World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday visited areas of rebel-held northwestern Syria that were devastated by last month’s earthquake, an AFP correspondent reported. Tedros, the highest-ranking United Nations official to visit Syria’s rebel-held zones since the February 6 quake, had traveled to government-controlled areas of Aleppo and Damascus the week of the disaster. He entered Syria on Wednesday from neighboring Turkiye via the Bab Al-Hawa crossing and visited several hospitals and a shelter for those displaced, the correspondent said. In the aftermath of the quake, activists and emergency teams in the rebel-held northwest decried the UN’s slow response, contrasting it with the planeloads of humanitarian aid that have been delivered to government-controlled airports. A total of 258 planes laden with aid have reached regime-controlled areas, 129 of them from the United Arab Emirates. UN relief chief Martin Griffiths admitted on February 12 that the body had “so far failed the people in northwest Syria.” Since then, the UN launched a $397 million appeal to help quake victims in Syria. The United Nations says a total of 420 trucks loaded with UN aid have crossed into the rebel-held pocket since the tragedy. More than 4 million people live in areas outside government control in Syria’s north and northwest, 90 percent of whom depend on aid to survive. The first UN aid convoy crossed into the area on February 9 — three days after the quake struck — and carried tents and other relief for 5,000 that had been expected before the earthquake. The UN largely delivers relief to Syria’s northwest via neighboring Turkiye through the Bab Al-Hawa crossing — the only way for aid to enter without Damascus’s permission. The crossing is located in the Idlib region, which UN officials rarely visit and is controlled by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham. The WHO chief said on February 12 that Assad had expressed openness to more border crossings for aid to be brought to quake victims in the rebel-held northwest. On February 13, the United Nations said Damascus had allowed it to also use two other crossings in areas outside its control — Bab Al-Salama and Al-Rai — for three months. An AFP correspondent said a new aid convoy entered via Bab Al-Salama on Wednesday. The first UN delegation to visit rebel-held northwestern Syria after the earthquake crossed over from Turkiye on February 14. It comprised deputy regional humanitarian coordinator David Carden and Sanjana Quazi, who heads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Turkiye and was largely an assessment mission. The 7.8-magnitude quake that struck war-torn Syria and Turkiye killed more than 50,000 people across the two countries. The Syrian government has said 1,414 people were killed in areas under its control, while Turkish-backed officials in Syria have put the death toll in rebel-held areas at 4,537. Topics: TURKIYE SYRIA EARTHQUAKE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RELATED 402A displaced Syrian child living in war-damaged buildings, is pictured in Syria’s rebel-held northern city of Raqa. (AFP)VIDEO Quake strains northwest Syria’s education system but students dream on ‘Economic massacre’: Lebanon dollarizes economy as pound plunges ‘Economic massacre’: Lebanon dollarizes economy as pound plunges Updated 01 March 2023 NAJIA HOUSSARI March 01, 2023 20:57 459 Amid warnings of looming economic chaos, the Finance Ministry set the price of the customs dollar at 45,000 Lebanese pounds The ministry pegged the value at 15,000 pounds only a few weeks ago BEIRUT: Escalating political confusion sent the Lebanese pound plummeting to a new low on the black market, trading at 90,000 pounds to the dollar on Wednesday. The latest plunge in the local currency means the exchange rate is more than 60 times lower than the base rate of 1,500 LBP/USD that has been in place for the past three years. Amid warnings of looming economic chaos, the Finance Ministry set the price of the customs dollar at 45,000 Lebanese pounds so the state treasury could pay public sector salaries. The ministry pegged the value at 15,000 pounds only a few weeks ago. Shops and supermarkets also began to price products in dollars on Wednesday. Economists and political experts predicted the Lebanese pound would drop to 100,000 to the dollar soon. Meanwhile, a man stormed a Creditbank branch in Sidon, southern Beirut, and threatened to set it ablaze if he was denied access to his savings. The man ended up leaving the bank without getting his money after being assured he would face no criminal charges. Economist Jassem Ajaka said that “there is no end to the hole the country has slipped into,” adding: “The worst is yet to come and we are drowning in utter chaos due to accumulated mistakes.” Ajaka said the Finance Ministry had no option but to raise the customs dollar to step up treasury revenues. Sources told Arab News that the ministry estimated the cost of covering the raises and social aid allowances that were added to public sector salaries at 8,000 billion Lebanese pounds. “The country suffers from a large deficit, and increasing revenues is one of the International Monetary Fund’s demands,” he said. “After raising the customs dollar and dollarizing the economy, the issue lies with controlling market prices in the absence of effective state institutions. Immense chaos awaits.” Economic observers believe if the political class remained inactive, financial, economic and banking breakdown was inevitable. With the local currency plunging and the prices of commodities and foodstuffs increasing by the minute, the Finance Ministry was fiercely criticized for its decision to raise the customs dollars, a step that is likely to drastically reduce people’s purchasing power. Hani Bohsali, head of the Food Importers Syndicate, said the decision was surprising and would increase the prices of essential commodities by 2-10 percent. “Even if oils and grains are exempt from customs fee increases, their prices will rise as the local currency drops.” Tripoli MP Ashraf Rifi warned that the local currency depreciation could result in a real catastrophe with devastating repercussions. “The Lebanese have become victims of an economic massacre,” he said. “The ruling authority and Hezbollah need to go before we can start reforming what this system destroyed.” The Council of Maronite Bishops convened on Wednesday and appealed to the caretaker government to discharge its duties wisely and avoid any action that would aggravate the situation. The council expressed concerns over security and called on law enforcement agencies to tighten measures. Topics: LEBANON BLACK MARKET CUSTOMS SUPERMARKETS Quake strains northwest Syria’s education system but students dream on A displaced Syrian child living in war-damaged buildings, is pictured in Syria’s rebel-held northern city of Raqa. (AFP) A displaced Syrian child living in war-damaged buildings, is pictured in Syria’s rebel-held northern city of Raqa. (AFP) Updated 01 March 2023 MAEDEH SHARIFI AND MOAWIA ATRASH March 01, 2023 20:44 402 According to a local headteacher, about 49 schools in the area are now unusable The deaths of many teachers in the quake is another tragic reality that the education system is facing in the aftermath of the disaster IDLIB: Damage from last month’s Turkiye-Syria earthquake is exerting new pressure on northwestern Syria’s already strained education sector. Harem, a city in Idlib, an opposition-held territory, was hit particularly badly by the quake. Mohamed Al-Khatib is a quake survivor and local headteacher at Harem Rural School. The three-building school he runs is one of the many educational facilities that the quake damaged and rendered unusable. “One of the buildings (the school) is an old French building dating 100 years back to the French occupation,” Al-Khatib told Arab News. “This great ancient French building has unfortunately been greatly affected and thus, we couldn’t receive our students, as it poses a great risk to them.” According to Al-Khatib, about 49 schools in the area are now unusable. The deaths of many teachers in the quake is another tragic reality that the education system is facing in the aftermath of the disaster. “We have unfortunately lost many of them in the earthquake, while others have been greatly injured. Our school director, the late Prof. Mohammed Suleiman, was also a victim of the earthquake,” Al-Khatib said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that in northwest Syria, a total of 323 education facilities were damaged by the quake. According to the OCHA, 20 of the schools deemed safe to use have been converted into temporary shelters for the displaced, leaving students unable to attend classes. The quake added new strain on an education system that was already overburdened before the earthquake with a loss of teachers, lack of funding, overcrowded classrooms and damaged infrastructure as a result of the country’s more than decade-long civil war. Despite the back-to-back crises, children in northwestern Syria are remaining hopeful for the future. “I am now going to school without fearing the occurrence of an earthquake. I am studying and dreaming about becoming an engineer after graduation,” eight-year-old schoolboy Bilal told Arab News. He witnessed the quake toppling buildings in his neighborhood and had to relocate schools after his own home was damaged by the quake. Athna, a 10-year-old schoolgirl who also witnessed the quake firsthand, is also clinging on to hope. Before the earthquake, she was one of the top students in her class, but is now unable to resume learning. With an enthusiastic tone, Athna told Arab News: “I wish to become a successful doctor in the future.” Topics: TURKIYE SYRIA EARTHQUAKE IDLIB EDUCATION SYSTEM RELATED 1180US accuses Syrian regime and ‘other actors’ of diverting quake aid and blocking deliveries US accuses Syrian regime and ‘other actors’ of diverting quake aid and blocking deliveries 498Around 40,000 Syrians return from Turkiye after quake Around 40,000 Syrians return from Turkiye after quake Israel cracks down on rampaging settlers but Palestinians say it is ‘not enough’ Israel cracks down on rampaging settlers but Palestinians say it is ‘not enough’ Updated 7 min 46 sec ago MOHAMMED NAJIB March 01, 2023 19:50 441 Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh sees "an organized crime perpetrated by the Israeli government and carried out by the settlers’ Israeli general denounces settler riots as a pogrom "carried out by outlaws" RAMALLAH: Israeli police finally arrested 10 people on Wednesday in connection with a deadly rampage by settlers through a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank. The arrests came after three days of inaction following Monday’s incident in Hawara, when one Palestinian died as hundreds of settlers torched cars and homes, and amid unprecedented criticism by the senior Israeli military chief in the area. Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs, head of the Israeli army’s Central Command, said his forces had prepared for the possibility of a settler attack but had been surprised by the intensity of the violence. Fuchs said the rampage was a “shameful” incident carried out by lawbreakers who “acted not according to the values I grew up with or the values of the state of Israel, and not according to the values of Judaism.” “The incident in Hawara was a pogrom carried out by outlaws,” he said. “We were not prepared for a pogrom of this magnitude, with many dozens of people.” Pogrom is a word that describes an organized act of mass violence targeting a particular ethnic or religious group. The term had been used to refer to ethnic mob attacks against Jews in eastern Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A view of cars burnt in an attack by Israeli settlers, following an incident where a Palestinian gunman killed two Israeli settlers, near Hawara in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Feb. 27, 2023. (Reuters) Fuchs said: “We are currently in a period without security coordination with the Palestinian Authority. We will see what happens in the coming days.” Shops in Hawara remained closed on Wednesday, by order of the army, amid a heavy Israeli military presence. On a visit to the town, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said the arrests were not enough. “We see an organized crime perpetrated by the Israeli government and carried out by the settlers,” he said. Hawara’s mayor, Mueen Al-Dumaidi, told Arab News that Shtayyeh had visited to take stock of the situation and assess the damage. People who lost property in the settler attacks are demanding compensation from the Palestinian Authority, including new homes. Shtayyeh has formed a committee to assess the losses and promised the government would help people to the full extent of its capabilities. “There are 52 families whose homes were completely burned down, 40 cars were torched, in addition to the destruction of the municipality’s property, two trucks and a bulldozer,” Al-Dumaidi said. He said the Israeli army had divided the town into five security zones and banned residents from moving between them. Troops were deployed on rooftops along the main street to prevent clashes between Palestinians and settlers. People were gripped by fear and panic, Al-Dumaidi said, and settlers had tried to attack a house on Wednesday. “Now, after the world has condemned the Israeli army’s failure to prevent settlers from attacking the Palestinians, the Israelis admit their mistake,” he said. He described the situation in Huwara as “terrible,” saying the Israeli army has divided it into five security zones and forbidden residents from moving between them. Troops are deployed on rooftops along the main street through the town to prevent any friction or clashes between residents and settlers. Palestinians have formed protection committees in Huwara who stay awake all night to protect homes and town property from further attacks. Al-Dumaidi said the job of committee members is to warn residents of any attack, not to engage in a fight. Meanwhile, Palestinian and Israeli sources have expressed fears that violence will again flare in the West Bank before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, which begins in about three weeks. An aerial view shows a building and cars burnt in an attack by Israeli settlers near the Palestinian town of Hawara in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Feb. 27, 2023. (REUTERS) Amer Hamdan, a human rights activist from Nablus, told Arab News that he has noticed an apparent change in the behavior of the Israeli army toward Palestinians since the new right-wing Israeli government came to power in late December. The soldiers, he said, tolerate attacks by settlers against the Palestinians. “If the army had the intention to act, it would move quickly and deal firmly with the settlers before they could carry out their arson attacks,” he added. Hamdan said he has avoided traveling to Ramallah since the latest settler attacks for fear of being targeted by settlers, or soldiers at the military checkpoints that are dotted along the road. “I do not want to be the next martyr,” he added. In another development, Israeli forces raided the Humsa Bedouin community in Tubas Governorate in the northern Jordan Valley and demolished homes, according to Moataz Bisharat, who is in charge of the area. Hussein Al-Shaikh, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee chief, said draft legislation on the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners found guilty of terrorism, which is passing through the Israeli Knesset, reflects an approach steeped in “racism and colonial thought.” The government-backed law passed its preliminary reading in the Israeli parliament on Wednesday. Al-Shaikh said the party that should be tried for its crimes is the occupation, not the people suffering under the occupiers and their oppression. Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s ultranationalist Jewish Power faction has promoted the death sentence bill as a means of deterring would-be Palestinian attackers after a more than year-long surge in violence that shows no signs of abating. Critics say the death penalty is immoral, antithetical to Jewish principles, and will not serve as a deterrent. The proposed law would allow the death penalty for a person who killed an Israeli “as an act motivated by racism or hostility toward the public” and “with the aim of harming the state of Israel and the revival of the Jewish people in its land.” Limor Son Har-Melech, the ultranationalist settler lawmaker proposing the bill, told Kan public radio that “it is just and most moral that someone who murders Jews, and just because they’re Jews” is sentenced to death. The bill passed by a vote of 55-9 in a preliminary reading. Most of the opposition, along with some of Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox allies, were not present for the vote. (With AP) Topics: ISRAEL PALESTINIANS MOHAMMAD SHTAYYEH HUWARA ISRAELI ATROCITIES ISRAELI LANDGRABBERS RELATED 517US Special Representative condemns Israeli settler rampage in HawaraVIDEO US Special Representative condemns Israeli settler rampage in Hawara 1626Rampaging Israeli settlers set fire to homes and cars in West BankPHOTOS Rampaging Israeli settlers set fire to homes and cars in West Bank Latest Updates Harry, Meghan asked to leave UK home in further royal rift Harry, Meghan asked to leave UK home in further royal rift 21 Dubai Boat Show returns for 29th edition Dubai Boat Show returns for 29th edition 51 Britain’s Prince Harry loses home on royal estate Britain’s Prince Harry loses home on royal estate 217 Belgium PM tells Iranian leader to free aid worker Belgium PM tells Iranian leader to free aid worker 41 What We Are Reading Today: The Machines of Evolution and the Scope of Meaning What We Are Reading Today: The Machines of Evolution and the Scope of Meaning 16