Circling The Wagons

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JEWS AND ARABS ARE HAVING SUCH A TOUGH TIME living together that the Israeli government has decided to keep them apart as much as possible. Having already closed off the Gaza Strip in response to a worsening spiral of attacks and counterattacks, authorities have forbidden Palestinians in the West Bank to enter Israel. The twin moves kept more than 100,000 Palestinians from reaching their jobs in Israel, at an estimated cost in lost earnings of $2.6 million daily.

The indefinite closure order was meant to prevent would-be Arab assailants from reaching their victims in Israel. But it was also aimed at protecting Palestinian workers from Jewish vigilantes, who have grown increasingly active in taking the law into their hands.