VOL. XL

No. 21

26 May 1997

The Political Scene

Deadlock (between Israel and the Palestinians)and drift (by the US) continue on the Palestinian track, although the leaking of a US survey alleging that existing Israeli settlementsare only three-quarters occupied might be seen as an oblique criticism of Israel's current settlement offensive.Israel and the US have condemned Palestinian attempts to resuscitate a Jordanian law which imposes thedeath penalty for selling West Bank land to Jews. Despite...