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JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel's High Court of Justice has rejected a petition from the acting mayor of Jerusalem to close on the Sabbath and holidays a main thoroughfare that cuts through a religious neighborhood.

The justices said there was no justification to rescind a recent court decision to keep Bar Ilan Street open on the Sabbath until an independent commission submitted its findings regarding the contentious issue.

The street has been the site of several recent and often violent confrontations between police and ultra-religious Jews, who view the presence of Sabbath traffic in their neighborhood as an affront to Jewish law.

Secular Israelis regard traffic closures on the Sabbath and holidays as an infringement of their rights, and have also protested at the site.

Hanegbi takes over justice ministry post

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week appointed Health Minister Tzachi Hanegbi to serve as acting justice minister.

Hanegbi, who will retain the health portfolio, will assume the Cabinet position given up last month by Ya'acov Ne'eman.

Ne'eman resigned after police launched an investigation of him for allegedly obstructing court proceedings relating to the corruption case of Shas Knesset member Aryeh Deri. Deri, a former interior minister under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, resigned from the Cabinet in 1993 after being indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of public trust.

Netanyahu has said Ne'eman could return to head the Justice Ministry if the police investigation ends without an indictment.

Article: Netanyahu worse than Hitler

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Prime Minister's Office has submitted a formal protest to the Palestinian Authority about the publication of an article in a Ramallah-based newspaper that compared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.

The article described Netanyahu as "more of a Nazi than Hitler."

The prime minister's communications adviser, David Bar Ilan, said Israel would not tolerate such published comments, adding that they represented a violation of the self-rule accords barring incitement.

Khalil Sawahri, a writer and regular columnist for Al-Ayyam, says Netanyahu emerges from his writing as "stubborn, proud and very arrogant in his attitude towards others, towards Arabs in particular. He looks more Nazi than Hitler and more Zionist than Jabotinsky, Begin and Shamir."

Palestinian leaders have criticized what they view as Netanyahu's refusal to implement the peace agreements signed by the previous Labor-led government.

Boy kills himself over lack of books

JERUSALEM (JPS) — A 12-year-old schoolboy apparently hanged himself after his parents failed to pay a $400 schoolbook fee, officials said.

The Education Ministry has appointed a committee to investigate the Monday death of the boy, a resident of Moshav Yated. He apparently left a suicide note for his parents, asking: "Why couldn't you pay the education fee?" Education Minister Zevulun Hammer on Tuesday ordered school principals only to discuss fees with parents. "This personal appeal of the minister is in addition to standing orders not to deprive pupils of services because of lack of payments."

Children at the Besor Regional School where the boy studied had apparently received their text- and exercise books Monday. The boy was reportedly told that since his parents had not paid the fee his books would be withheld. Other children teased the boy, whose parents have had financial problems, according to Israel Radio report.

Israel allegedly fillsPalestinian coffers

JERUSALEM (JPS) — Israel has transferred close to $66 million over the last two years to a Tel Aviv bank account, which has been designated mainly for Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's discretionary spending, The Jerusalem Post has learned from non-Israeli and Israeli officials.

The money, which has been nicknamed by some as "Fund B" or "the slush fund," consists of petrol gasoline taxes Israel is supposed to rebate to the Palestinian Authority as revenue for its operating budget.

Officials say a signatory on the account, which is held at one of the Bank Leumi branches in Tel Aviv, is Khalid Salaam, Arafat's financial adviser. There is another, unknown, Palestinian signatory.

"Apparently, there is a slice of the money that is supposed to and perhaps does make its way for the [Palestinian Authority] budget," an Israeli official said. "Yet the fund is for Arafat's use and there is no question that the account operates outside of the framework of Palestinian Authority accountability."

There has been speculation that Arafat utilized some of the funds to buy off political opponents — including Islamic elements — but this cannot be confirmed. Nobody has charged so far that Arafat personally pockets any money.

The Palestinian Authority could not be reached for comment.

Post Internet edition rated among top 10

JERUSALEM (JPS) — The Jerusalem Post's Internet edition has been rated among the world's top 10 online news sources by readers of the AJR NewsLink service of the American Journalism Review.

In 23rd place in an online survey last December, the Post's Internet edition (http://www.jpost.co.il) rose to seventh place this year, out of some 4,000 newspapers, magazines, newsletters and news services available over the Internet.

Eight out of the latest top 10 sites are U.S.-based news organizations, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and CNN Interactive.