Israel, Plo Resume Talks Over West Bank’s Future

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resumed talks late Monday after failing to resolve their dispute over the future of the West Bank city of Hebron.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO leader Yasser Arafat expressed cautious optimism the deadlock could be broken.

“We hope that we will continue to act in a spirit which will enable us to find solutions for the remaining issues,” Peres told reporters before entering the meeting. “A lot of effort is still needed for the outcome to be fruitful.”

Arafat told reporters he hoped for an agreement during Monday’s talks, but cautioned: “It takes two to dance.”

A compromise could allow them to accept President Clinton’s invitation to hold a signing ceremony at the White House on Thursday.

The talks in Taba are aimed at expanding Palestinian autonomy to the whole of the West Bank and to allow for election of a ruling Palestinian council, as called for in the September 1993 Israel-PLO accord.

Negotiations on a final settlement are to begin next year, and the PLO is expected to demand full independence for all the occupied territories.

The major sticking point in the talks has been what to do with Hebron. Peres and Arafat debated the issue for more than 12 hours in three sessions that began Sunday and lasted until dawn Monday.

Hebron is the only city in the West Bank with a Jewish settler population - about 450 Jews live among 120,000 Palestinians.

Palestinians and Israelis said Monday the two sides appeared to be narrowing their differences over Hebron.

According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, the city would be divided into three zones, with Israel in full control of the downtown area where the settlers live, the Palestinians given complete responsibility in another sector and the two sides sharing security duties in the third.

The plan would be phased in over nine months, sources here said.

Peres returned to Taba after traveling to Jerusalem for consultations with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Arafat also consulted with his Cabinet, which issued a statement following a three-hour meeting that accused Israel of failing to compromise.

Israel already has agreed to fully vacate the six main West Bank towns other than Hebron - Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilya, Tulkarm, Ramallah and Bethlehem - and to gradually withdraw troops from most Arab-populated rural areas by July 1997.

The two sides also have completed work on Palestinian elections, except for minor points.