Israeli, US astronauts die in shuttle blast over ‘Palestine’ By Barbara Ferguson, Arab News StaffWASHINGTON, 2 February 2003 — All seven crew of the American space shuttle Columbia, including the first ever Israeli astronaut, were killed yesterday when the craft disintegrated in flames just minutes before it was scheduled to land. In a tragic irony, the Columbia exploded with its Israeli astronaut on board over a city named Palestine in the state of Texas. The cause of the disaster was not immediately clear, but residents in north Texas heard a loud boom as Columbia passed overhead. “I could see two...