Mourners at Ashkelon funeral of Zipporah Sasson chant "death to Arabs!" but cabinet declines to close off o.t., FM Peres saying "there is no need at the moment to renew the closure," closure "neither effective nor required." Environment M Yossi Sarid warns, "if [PLO Chmn. Arafat] and his people do not bring down the level of terrorism, terrorism will bring them down." Israeli cabinet discusses closure of o.t. as possible response to Sasson murder, but FM Peres says "it is unfair to punish innocent people." (MM, NYT, WT 2/21)
Police M Moshe Shahal announces plans to deploy Civil Guard units in all major settlements in o.t. as part of IDF redeployment plans. (MM 2/21)
Associated Press reports Israel preparing to evacuate Palestinian informers and their families to Israel fr. villages of Dahaniya in the Gaza Strip and Fahmi in the West Bank in anticipation of Palestinian autonomy. Report says 13 of 100 families in Dahaniya and 24 of 105 in Fahmi have received Israeli i.d.s (WT 2/20)
Jordan arrests 15 FRC ("Abu Nidal") mbrs. in raid on Amman office posing as trading company. Most had served prison terms in 1970s for terrorist crimes. Move follows arrests in Lebanon of FRC mbrs. for murder of Jordanian diplomat, Jordanian accusations of Libyan complicity. (MM, WP 2/23)
King Fahd announces Saudi fund-raising drive for restoration of Islamic holy places in Jerusalem. (MM 2/24)