51.   The bomber, who came from the village of Artas near Bethlehem in the West Bank, apparently slipped past an Israeli army blockade of Palestinian towns.

52.   The border closings and the isolation of Palestinian towns behind Israeli army checkpoints have prevented imports of raw materials and goods, blocked exports and disrupted marketing.

53.   The busy road runs between two Palestinian towns, and near a Jewish settlement.

54.   The entire West Bank, by contrast, is dotted with settlements, some in remote areas but others right next to Palestinian towns, or even inside them.

55.   The earlier resolution called for an Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian towns and blamed both sides for the fighting.

56.   The factories and wineries were not built among Palestinian towns and farms but on land long left vacant by long-ago wars.

57.   The Israeli army responded by shelling a nearby Palestinian town, killing six.

58.   The Israeli army has withdrawn from Palestinian towns and refugee camps.

59.   The Israeli army remains on the edge of Palestinian towns, free to go in and out at will.

60.   The violence that broke out in Palestinian towns and cities recently need not have been surprising.