Demonstrations Israel

Men and women praying together at Jerusalem's Western Wall once again faced attacks from Orthodox protesters this week, but unlike other incidents in the last few years, this time the worshipers received police protection. Rabbi Ehud Bandel, president of the Conservative movement in Israel, called the police protection of the male-female service "a historical precedent."

A pro-Iraq rally turned violent Saturday in the West Bank, with Israeli troops firing tear gas and rubber bullets at stone-throwing Palestinian protesters. At least 14 people suffered minor injuries. Carrying pictures of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and waving Iraqi flags, a crowd of Palestinians estimated at between 500 and 1,000, mainly teenagers, chanted, "Down with America!" and shouted, "Clinton is a coward--go look for women!"

Palestinian officials arrested a leading militant in the death of a Hamas bomb maker Saturday even as thousands of Palestinians rallied against Israel, calling for revenge for the slaying of Mohiedin Sharif. Palestinian official Tayeb Abdel-Rahim confirmed the arrest of Hamas member Imad Awadallah in the death of bomb maker Sharif.

In a rare outpouring of anger, thousands of Israeli Arabs protested Israeli housing policies Monday, vowing to rebuild three homes authorities had demolished in this Arab village. Last week's demolitions were followed by the worst clashes in decades involving Israel's 1 million Arab citizens. The weekend violence stirred deep-seated fears among the country's Jewish majority of an uprising from within.

Moving to silence embarrassing pro-Iraq demonstrations, Palestinian authorities arrested opposition politicians, rounded up journalists and shut down news-gathering operations Friday. The action was apparently aimed at stopping anti-U.S. protests at a time when Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat is improving ties with Washington in an effort to achieve his goal of independence.

Palestinians threw stones and Israeli troops responded with rubber bullets and tear gas in clashes that injured 25 Palestinians and three soldiers Saturday, a week before the scheduled start of President Clinton's visit to the area. Seven protesters were arrested. The clashes came as Palestinians launched protests demanding the release of what they call political prisoners in an escalating dispute that has threatened to derail the new Mideast peace accord.

Like many Palestinian mothers, Latifa Hmeid remembers her sons' arrest dates as easily as their birthdays. Three of her 12 children are in prison. One son is serving "nine life terms plus three years" for killing at least 10 Palestinians accused of spying for Israelis. Another son, now 22, has been in jail since he was 14. And like other mothers, Hmeid, 51, wants her boys to come home.

Ignoring the pleas of U.S. officials to restore calm before the arrival of President Clinton this weekend, Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters clashed throughout the West Bank on Wednesday. A Palestinian teenager was killed, and scores were injured. Palestinian youths protesting the continued detention of hundreds of Palestinian inmates in Israeli jails hurled Molotov cocktails and rocks at Israeli army troops and passing motorists in at least seven towns.

Protests by stone-throwing demonstrators swept the West Bank for the third straight day since three Palestinians were shot to death at an Israeli army roadblock. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed sympathy to the victims' families Thursday and said mistakes were made. Witnesses said up to 28 Palestinians were wounded by rubber bullets in clashes with Israeli soldiers in five communities, including the victims' village of Dura.

As Israel and the Palestinians faced fresh challenges Sunday to their fragile new peace accord, Israelis marked the anniversary of the slaying of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin with appeals for unity and warnings that the political violence that claimed his life must never recur.