News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) When US President George W. Bush convenes with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert next week in Jerusalem, Israel's prime minister will seek an agreement from the US administration to allow Israel to maintain some security measures following the potential creation of a PLO Arab state.

Israel will ask the United States for permission to conduct anti-terror operations in Judea and Samaria during talks on forming the 23rd Arab state in the Middle East, and will request demilitarization for the new entity, particularly in areas that Israel will surrender.  Israel wants the US to grant it the right to fly over PLO air space, and to control border crossings in a discreet fashion. Furthermore, Israel wants to extract a promise from the PLO to allow Israeli forces to deploy emergency troops in Judea and Samaria to thwart invasions from the East.

Israel will also propose the deployment of international forces in Judea and Samaria, as well as along the Philadelphi Corridor in Rafah.