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Friday June 18, 2004

Shorts: Mideast

Palestinians no-show at barrier pageant

jerusalem (jta) | Palestinian contestants skipped a beauty pageant held at the barrier between a Palestinian area and a Jewish neighborhood of Jerusalem. The Tuesday, June 15, Miss Barrier Line contest in Gilo consisted only of 16 Israeli women because Palestinian contestants backed out in recent months, citing threats.

The pageant was organized to foster understanding between the women, but Palestinian militants often have tried to prevent joint projects between Israelis and Palestinians, The Associated Press reported.

U.S. rips fence building

jerusalem (jta) | The route of Israel’s West Bank security barrier is a problem, the State Department spokesman said.

Richard Boucher said U.S. officials had discussed with their Israeli counterparts recent reports that Israel is appropriating land east of the Ariel settlement.

“Our position has been clear: The fence is a problem,” Boucher said Tuesday. “It’s a problem to the extent that it prejudges final borders, that it confiscates Palestinian property or that it imposes further hardship on the Palestinian people.”

Israel earlier this year had agreed to build separate, smaller fences around Ariel and nearby settlements but not to join those to the main West Bank fence for now. U.S. officials fear Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has reneged on that pledge to secure Cabinet backing for his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

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