Mideast Report

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Israel's nuclear reactor near the town of Dimona will be shut down on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to prevent possible malfunctions related to the Y2K bug.

Despite the planned shutdown, the Prime Minister's Office said Monday that Israel's nuclear facilities meet the standards to combat any computer problems related to the start of the new millennium.

Courts rule on Iraqis, wounded Palestinian

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- An Israeli court has ordered the state to pay $250,000 to a Palestinian seriously wounded in 1984 in the explosion of ammunition left behind from an Israeli army training exercise.

The court ruled the army had not properly combed the area after the drill.

In a related event, Israel's Supreme Court has ordered the release of six Iraqi nationals who have been jailed without trial for more than six years. The court rejected the argument of security forces that at least three of the Iraqis were sent to Israel to spy on the Jewish state.