JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli government on Monday failed to pass a bill extending legal protections for settlers in the occupied West Bank. The vote marks a major setback for the fragile coalition government that could hasten its demise and send the country to new elections. The failure to renew the bill also highlights the separate legal systems in the West Bank, where nearly 500,000 Jewish settlers enjoy the benefits of Israeli citizenship while some 3 million Palestinians live under military rule that is now well into its sixth decade.
Israeli coalition suffers loss, faces uncertain prospects