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JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel has provided more fuel for Palestinian anger with the announcement that four Palestinian offices in eastern Jerusalem must be closed because of their alleged connections to the Palestinian Authority.

The order, announced Tuesday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes amid heightened Palestinian criticism of Israel's decision to build a new Jewish neighborhood at Har Homa in southeastern Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said an Israeli anti-terror team believes that the institutions he ordered closed are linked to the Palestinian Authority. One of the sites is a mapping office, which Israel had ordered closed last August.

Along with issuing the closure order, Netanyahu instructed Public Security Minister Avigdor Kahalani to immediately keep Palestinian security forces from operating in the eastern half of the city.

Netanyahu, Mubarak meet, then disagree

JERUSALEM (JTA) — During a one-hour meeting Wednesday in Cairo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak agreed to disagree.

In comments to reporters after their session, the two downplayed their disagreements.

Netanyahu praised the Egyptians for discouraging a violent Palestinian reaction to Israeli construction plans at Har Homa. "But what has become clear since we took the [Har Homa] decision is that Egypt is…taking certain steps to ensure that the peace process will continue."

Mubarak said, "I'm not going to tell you that I was convinced" about Har Homa by Netanyahu. But he added, "We are not thinking of taking measures" against Israel.

Meanwhile, Mubarak said he could do nothing to secure the release of Azam Azam, a Druse who worked in a Cairo textile factory before Egyptian authorities accused him in December of spying for Israel.

"This case is before the court. We have no authority to exclude it from the court until it comes to an end," Mubarak said.

Israeli rules to keep six Iraqi prisoners

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel's High Court of Justice has refused to release six Iraqi citizens held in Israeli jails for the past three years.

The court, ruling Wednesday on an Iraqi petition, said the Iraqis could pose a security threat.

The ruling came in response to a petition from the Iraqis, who said they had fled Iraq for their lives.

While denying the petition, the justices instructed the Israeli government to make efforts in the next three months to find other countries that would accept the Iraqis.

Israel to aid Zaire with military training

JERUSALEM (JPS) — Israel is teaming up with China to train 13 commando brigades to defend Zaire's ailing regime from a spreading rebel war, according to reports from Zaire.

The Israelis are reportedly joining efforts to aid Zaire by its African of Morocco, Togo and Chad, who are sending troops. Egypt has offered to send military equipment for the infantry, an unnamed senior Zairean Defense Ministry official was quoted by news agencies as saying.

According to the official, Israel and China will help train 13 rapid intervention commando brigades of 2,000 men each at bases near the fighting in upper Zaire.

Israel and Zaire have had strong military links in the past. In 1994, Israel approved a $50 million deal to send arms and combat veterans to train and equip Zaire's army. At that time the military training was done through a private Israeli arms dealer.

Drug tests not forced, Israeli army insists

JERUSALEM (JPS) — The Israeli army admitted it has been testing a nerve gas antidote and other drugs on soldiers for decades, but dismissed charges that soldiers are forced to participate in the experiments.

Army Surgeon General Brig. Gen. Yehoshua Shemer said recruits today are being used in medical experiments, but only on a voluntary basis and soldiers must sign a waiver to participate.

"There are no secrets here," Shemer said.

The drug being tested was Pirsiglobin, he said, which protects against nerve gas.

Shemer's statements came following a report on Israel Radio that soldiers were forced to take drugs in the 1970s and 1980s, some of which were reportedly banned.