ISRAELI COURT SENTENCES PALESTINIAN CARTOONIST 

An Israeli court today sentenced a Palestinian cartoonist to five months in jail and ordered him to pay a 10,000 ( $2500) shekel fine,

Muhammad Sabanah, from Qabatia near Jenin, was detained on Feb. 16 at the Allenby Bridge as he returned to the West Bank from Jordan.

He was charged with contacting "enemy entities,

Sabanah's family said the verdict was a relief as it would end the pressure of interrogation. They added that the cartoonist is not affiliated to any political party.

Sabanah's cartoons are widespread in the Arab world. He is well-known for his criticism through his cartoons, which focus mainly on the Palestinian people's problems and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.