During his visit Mr Clinton will address the Palestine National Council which is due to meet on 14 December to reaffirm the revocation of clauses in the PLO charter calling for Israel's destruction.

This was a key element of the Israeli-Palestinian accord negotiated last month at Wye River Plantation in Maryland.

Mr Clinton, who is scheduled to leave Washington on 12 December and return three days later, will also have meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

Need to support process

The trip is meant to underline "the importance of the Wye agreement and the need to continue to support the Middle East peace process", White House press secretary Joe Lockhart said.

The interim Middle East peace deal was signed on 23 October in Washington and has been ratified by both the Israeli and Palestinian cabinets.

As part of the deal Israel has begun withdrawing from 13% of the West Bank in return for Palestinian action on security.

The accord also allowed the opening of the Gaza International Airport last Tuesday - an event which Mr Arafat hailed as tangible proof that the Middle East peace process was working.

The following day, a committee made up of Palestinian, Israeli and American representatives met to tackle the issue of incitement to violence.

Israel has long demanded that the Palestinians do more to stop rhetoric which it views as inflammatory. The establishment of the committee was one of Israel's demands in last month's agreement.

On Monday, President Clinton is scheduled to meet Mr Arafat at the White House.