Israel Expelling 4 Palestinians After Murders of 3 Jews

Israel ordered four Palestinian activists deported Saturday, a day after Muslim fundamentalists stabbed three Jews to death, the army said.

If upheld, the expulsions would be the first since August, 1989, when five Palestinians were expelled for their roles in the uprising against Israeli rule. Sixty Arabs have been expelled since the uprising began in December, 1987.

Israel Radio said the four were residents of the occupied Gaza Strip and were members of the Muslim fundamentalist movement Hamas.

It said the activists were arrested along with hundreds of other Hamas members. The group claimed responsibility for the three murders Friday in the Arab-Jewish town of Jaffa, adjacent to Tel Aviv.

The army would not say how many Arabs were arrested; Arab reports said it was nearly 500.

The army said the four activists ordered out of the country all took part in violent activities. But it was not clear if they were suspected of involvement in the killings.

The four will be allowed to appeal the expulsion order to the Israeli Supreme Court, the army said.

Former Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin stopped deportations 16 months ago in the face of criticism from the United States, the United Nations and the International Red Cross. In previous cases, Palestinians had been deported to Lebanon and Jordan.

In the recent outbreak of anti-Israeli violence that followed the Oct. 8 Temple Mount riot, in which 20 Palestinians were killed, some Israeli politicians have called for reinstating deportations.

The expulsion of Arabs would surely put a strain on Israel’s relations with the United States. It could also complicate U.S. relations with its allies in the Persian Gulf, where a majority of Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria, support the U.S.-led buildup confronting Iraq over its invasion of Kuwait.

Also Saturday, police said they had identified two Palestinians wanted in Friday’s killings of the Jews. They were believed to be hiding in Gaza.

The army command initially sealed off Gaza, confining all Arab residents to the area and barring journalists from entering. But it later lifted the closure, allowing Palestinians who met strict security criteria to enter Israel.

Hamas marked the third anniversary of its founding Friday and had called on Palestinians to honor the date by escalating their uprising against Israel. The Arabs who killed the Jews sprayed Muslim fundamentalist slogans on the walls before fleeing, police said.