Netanyahu To Meet Key Plo Demand

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ready to meet a key Palestinian demand - a written pledge to honor all IsraelPLO agreements, an aide said Tuesday.

Netanyahu’s spokesman, David Bar-Illan, said the premier also might call off a six-day trip to the United States - due to start Thursday - if progress is made in talks on Israel’s much-delayed troop withdrawal from most of the West Bank city of Hebron.

The negotiating teams - led by Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Amnon Shahak and Yasser Arafat deputy Mahmoud Abbas - resumed talks Tuesday night at U.S. Ambassador Martin Indyk’s home north of Tel Aviv. They did not speak to reporters.

Asked about chances for an agreement were good, Israel’s Foreign Minister David Levy said: “Certainly.” Levy said the sides had done the preparatory work needed for “this to happen already tomorrow.”

Arafat, however, said Tuesday that “a lot” remained to be done before an agreement could be signed. The Palestinian leader met Monday in Cairo with U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Israel was to have withdrawn from most of Hebron in March.

But Netanyahu has delayed the pullout, citing concern for the security of the 450 settlers and seminary students who live in Hebron among 94,000 Palestinians.