Mideast Report

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A Maryland teenager facing murder charges in Israel pleaded innocent to the main charge stemming from the 1997 killing.

At a hearing Monday, Samuel Sheinbein pleaded guilty only to helping an alleged accomplice dispose of the dismembered body of fellow Maryland teen Alfred Tello.

Construction begins in eastern Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Construction began Monday in a predominantly Arab neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem.

The building in Ras al-Amud, which was authorized by the former government of Benjamin Netanyahu, was criticized Tuesday by Haim Ramon, the new minister without portfolio who is in charge of Jerusalem affairs.

"Various quarters in the city should be respected, and not mixed," Ramon said.

Israel to receive $2.8 billion in aid

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly has passed a foreign aid bill that includes for Israel $1.92 billion in military aid and $960 million in economic aid.

The bill, which passed 97-2 on Thursday of last week, also includes $1.3 billion in military aid and $735 million in economic aid for Egypt and $150 million in economic aid for Jordan.

Israel's aid was reduced by $60 million and Egypt's aid shrank by $40 million as part of plans to restructure aid to both countries. An additional $350 million that the Clinton administration has been seeking in order to implement the Wye agreement will likely be considered at a later date.

Controversial school earns award in end

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A Lubavitch school in Israel was given a prestigious award last week in a reversal of an earlier decision by the country's Education Ministry.

Israeli President Ezer Weizman had originally canceled the award to the Chabad School for Girls in Kiryat Malachi after complaints that the school refused to admit Ethiopian students.

The decision was reversed by a representative of the President's Office.

Evangelical group sets up 'messiah-cam'

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- An evangelical Christian group is setting up a camera trained on the eastern gate of Jerusalem's Old City to capture what it hopes will be the Christian messiah's entrance into the city.

The "messiah-cam" established by Daystar International Ministry, which has offices in the United States and England, hopes to broadcast the coming of Jesus at the beginning of the next millennium over its Web site.