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JERUSALEM (JPS) — The Palestinian Authority is urging that any Palestinian who sells land to Israelis be put to death.

The authority plans to try Palestinians who sell Israelis land — in the territories or in pre-1967 Israel — using a Jordanian law that permits the death penalty, Justice Minister Freih Abu Medein said Monday.

The severe measures have become necessary, because "after what happened at Jabal Abu Ghneim [Har Homa], it has become clear that the Israeli government looks at all property sold by Arabs to Jews as conferring Israeli sovereignty," he said.

"We will be very tough in implementing Jordanian law on this."

U.S. denies Arafat tied to N.Y. bombing

WASHINGTON (JPS) — The Justice Department has dismissed a Jerusalem Post report alleging Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat knew in advance of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, citing a lack of evidence to back up the claim.

In a letter to Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) last week, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Fois said the department "is unaware of any information that Yasser Arafat either had prior knowledge of the bombing of the World Trade Center or was in any way involved in the conspiracy to bomb the building."

The Justice Department also asked Israeli officials about Deputy Education Minister Moshe Peled's claims of Israel's knowledge of Arafat's involvement, and "they [the Israelis] deny the accuracy of the statements attributed" to Peled, wrote Fois.

Specter wrote to Attorney General Janet Reno last month asking her to investigate the claims in the March 26 Post story.

The Post had quoted Peled as saying Arafat "was part of the discussions on the [World Trade Center bombing] operation." Peled confirmed information from intelligence sources that, several days before the February 26, 1993 bombing, Arafat met with Sudanese and Islamic terrorist leaders who discussed the plot.

Levy due in Jordan to smooth ruffles

JERUSALEM JTA) — Foreign Minister David Levy was invited to visit Jordan a day after a meeting between the Crown Prince and Israeli prime minister was canceled because of a dispute over water.

Although no date was set for Levy's visit, the foreign minister said Wednesday's invitation was proof that relations between the countries were not in crisis.

The previous day Jordan canceled a meeting between Crown Prince Hassan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because of disagreements over water supplies promised in the 1994 IsraeliJordanian peace treaty.

King Hussein spoke by phone with Netanyahu this week in an effort to smooth the latest strains in bilateral ties.

McDonald's to stay in religious-held mall

JERUSALEM (JTA) — McDonald's franchise in Israel claimed victory this week in its effort to open a non-kosher restaurant in a new shopping mall in the north Tel-Aviv neighborhood of Ramat Aviv, a predominantly secular neighborhood.

Africa-Israel, the mall's builder, said no battle had been fought with McDonald's because the issue at stake was not whether a non-kosher restaurant could operate, but whether the mall would be open on the Sabbath.

Most McDonald's restaurants in Israel are not kosher.

Africa-Israel caused a stir in March with its decision to close the mall on the Sabbath. Businesses protested, claiming that their contracts said the mall would be open.

Observers have linked the Sabbath closure to the recent purchase of Africa-Israel by Lev Levayev, an observant Jew.

McDonald's lease says opening on the Sabbath would depend on whether movie theaters in the mall also would be open.

Israel razes home of Hamas member

JERUSALEM (JPS) — The Israeli army demolished the cement-block home of another Hamas terrorist in the village of Tzurif last week.

It was the fourth home to be destroyed since security forces uncovered the Hamas cell responsible for the deaths of 12 Israelis in the past few months.

An Israeli army bulldozer plowed through the one-story house, which belonged to Gamal Jibril Alhour, 27.

The town of 15,000 was the headquarters of the six-man Hamas cell that carried out the March 21 bombing of the Apropo cafe in Tel Aviv, which killed three women and wounded more than 40 people.

The group also kidnapped and murdered Staff Sgt. Sharon Edri and was responsible for drive-by shootings that killed eight people.