He said it had been painful and difficult to give up Israeli land but he and his team had "fought like lions" to reduce Palestinian expectations: "We did something good for the state of Israel."

Earlier several Jewish settlers were arrested in the West Bank as Israeli hardliners voiced their opposition to the peace agreement signed in Washington on Friday.

Netanyahu: Branded a 'traitor' by hardliners

Right-wing opposition politicians are also angry at the deal and Mr Netanyahu, faces a no-confidence motion in the Knesset on Monday.

Militant Jewish settlers, many of whom voted for him in 1996, have threatened to force early elections and the Prime Minister will have to work hard to sell the deal to them.

But a poll published in an Israeli Sunday newspaper suggests 75 % of Israelis believe that Mr Netanyahu was right to sign the land-for-peace deal agreed with the Palestinians.

'Treason'

Hardliners have accused the prime minister of treason and surrendering to Palestinian demands.

Jeremy Bowen reports on the bitter infighting surrounding the deal

Spokeswoman for the Jewish Settlers Council, Yehudit Tayar, said an emergency meeting would be held on Sunday to discuss its strategy in fighting the peace accords.

"There is a very great likelihood that as diligently as we tried to elect Netanyahu to office, we will exert at least as much effort to make sure the Netanyahu government falls," she said.

Settlers say they are in danger of losing their land

"We are in danger of losing our land, the land we have returned to after 2000 years," said one Jewish protester.

Even Mr Netanyahu's new foreign minister, Ariel Sharon, is quoted in Israeli newspapers describing the deal as "dangerous".

But speaking after Mr Netanyahu at Ben Gurion airport he said "you have to make concessions in a peace process."

The BBC's Paul Adams: Fears that this the start of a potentially violent campaign to undermine the peace process?

President Clinton, who invested considerable political capital in the deal, has urged Israelis to support Mr Netanyahu, whose fragile coalition government has only a one seat majority.

Addressing the settlers protests Mr Netanyahu said his government was the only one which would still fight for them.

Under the peace deal, Israel will transfer a further 13% of the West Bank during a 12-week phased handover in return for Palestinian security commitments and the cancellation of the PLO charter's call for the destruction of Israel.

Roads blocked

Arafat says Netanyahu is his 'new partner'

There has been a heavy police presence in the West Bank where settlers have been blocking a series of crossroads.

Witnesses said two policemen were hurt during clashes near a settlement in the northern West Bank.

More than 20 people were arrested and all junctions were later reported open.

Palestinian condemnation

Palestinian opposition groups based in Syria, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad have also condemned the accord.

Mr Arafat: Hopes partnership will continue

The Palestinian Forces Alliance, a linkup of eight radical groups, denounced the deal, saying it was "aimed at turning the battle into a Palestinian-Palestinian conflict instead of a confrontation against Israel."

But Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has expressed optimism about the deal, saying an independent Palestinian state "is coming very soon".