BANK WITHDRAWAL:

Peres: We'll talk with Palestinians on pull-out (Harry de Quetteville, 19/03/2006, Daily Telegraph)

Israel will negotiate a planned withdrawal of settlers from the West Bank with the Palestinians after the general election in 10 days time, Shimon Peres, the country's two-time former leader has told the Sunday Telegraph.

"I can't set a date for the next pull-out," Mr Peres said, describing the plans of Israel's next government - of which he seems certain to be a key member - "but we shall try first of all to negotiate directly with the Palestinians."

Mr Peres said he hoped that the pull-out of Israeli settlers would prove "easy" adding: "We have the precedent of last summer," when 8,000 Jewish settlers were forcibly evacuated from the Gaza Strip in a controversial but ultimately rapid police operation.