Israel balks at land-for-security accord

Wants Palestinians to round up fugitives first

The Palestinians said the United States was satisfied with their anti-terror plan and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seizing a pretext to avoid handing over West Bank land.

AP PHOTO Palestinians accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using their delay in arresting fugitives as a pretext to hold onto West Bank lands.

The peace accord, signed Oct. 23 in Maryland, was to have taken effect Monday but was delayed at the request of Netanyahu. Under the agreement, the first installment of an Israeli troop pullback from 13 percent of the West Bank is due on Nov. 16.

U.S. envoy Dennis Ross was to arrive tomorrow to oversee implementation of the program that is to be carried out over 12 weeks. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said it was up to the Americans to break the latest impasse.

"Netanyahu wants to break the time line," Erekat told The Associated Press. He said the United States "must interfere."

The new recriminations made it clear that any good will generated by the new peace accord has already evaporated. With suspicions running high, the United States will likely have to step in as referee repeatedly in the coming weeks.

The latest crisis began yesterday morning, three hours before the Israeli Cabinet was to start a two-day debate on the peace agreement. Ratification had been expected today.

Netanyahu announced he would not convene the ministers because the Palestinians have not submitted a complete blueprint for fighting terrorism to the Americans, as promised.

Netanyahu would not say what information was missing, but Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai later said Israel was holding out for a list of 30 wanted Palestinians the Palestinian Authority has promised to arrest as part of the peace agreement.

Israel also wants a timetable for the arrests, Mordechai said.

Israel has said it cannot begin implementing the agreement until it has been approved by the Cabinet and by parliament, which is to vote on the accord Nov. 12.

The Palestinians reacted angrily to the latest delay, and negotiator Hassan Asfour criticized Netanyahu.

"Instead of playing these sorry political games, he should just stand up and say ... I won't implement what I have signed," Asfour said.

The United States appeared to side with the Palestinians. James Rubin, the State Department spokesperson, said Monday that "the necessary plans were provided on time."

Mohammed Dahlan, the Palestinian security chief in the Gaza Strip, said he discussed the anti-terror plan with Israeli security officials who also considered it sufficient.

Israeli commentator Emanuel Rosen said the arrest of the 30 fugitives is a fringe issue and that Netanyahu apparently used it to hold up the accord temporarily because he wanted to show Cabinet hard-liners he is standing tough against the Palestinians.

Cabinet approval is not assured. At least six of 18 ministers are undecided and three are opposed to the plan.

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