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World - Middle East

Netanyahu calls Cabinet meeting to discuss peace deal

Israel gets 'satisfaction' on disputed Palestinian arrests

November 4, 1998
Web posted at: 10:14 p.m. EST (0314 GMT)

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- After a week of conflict and delays, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his Cabinet Thursday to discuss the latest peace accord with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu delayed a Cabinet meeting to approve the Wye River Memorandum three times in the past week, because of disputes over Palestinian efforts to arrest 30 fugitives suspected of killing Israelis. But his office released a statement Wednesday saying that now "there is satisfaction in Jerusalem upon completion of Palestinian commitments."

The statement went on to say that Netanyahu had received American guarantees to carry out the arrests. "Now, the Palestinians will be tested by their deeds in the field," the statement quoted Netanyahu as saying.

Hours earlier, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat announced that his forces had already arrested 12 of the 30 suspects, and the United States said Palestinians had met their commitments.

The Israeli statement said the United States would guarantee that a third of the 30 suspects would be arrested in three stages, over the peace deal's 12- week implementation period.

Netanyahu's announcement followed a day of heated accusations and name-calling over which side was delaying the deal.

Struggle for Peace
 
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    Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat called Netanyahu's delays a "shameless" attempt to placate the hard-liners opposed to giving up West Bank territory.

    In a rancorous debate seen on Israeli television, Arafat aide Ahmed Tibi called Israeli Cabinet Secretary David Naveh the "king of lies." Naveh accused Tibi of leading a "Nazi propaganda campaign" on the deal's meaning.

    The Cabinet is expected to vote on the accord at the end of its debate, which could last for more than one day.

    The peace deal, which was hammered out over a nine-day negotiating session in Maryland last month, calls for an Israeli withdrawal from 13 percent of the West Bank to begin later this month. The Palestinians have agreed to crack down on suspected militants. The deal must be approved by the Cabinet, as well as Israel's parliament, the Knesset, before implementation can begin.

    Reuters contributed to this report.


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