Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated in the centre of Tel Aviv to protest against any further Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank.

It was the biggest demonstration by right-wing and Jewish settler groups since Benjamin Netanyahu became Prime Minister in 1996.

Rightwingers are threatening to bring down the government

The demonstration came as the Israeli government appeared to pull back from moves agreed as part of the Middle East Peace Process.

The Israeli cabinet has approved eight loosely-defined zones and sites in the West Bank it says will form the basis for any future negotiations with the Palestinians.

But if that is not enough for Israeli right-wingers, it has proved too much for the International community.

It had been expecting Israel to decide on the scope of its next troop redeployment from the West Bank in line with the Oslo peace agreement.

Instead the cabinet has voted to keep vast areas of this territory under its control to protect what it called Israel's vital national interests in any peace deal with the Palestinians.

The move has been criticised by the United States and Britain.

The British Minister of State, Derek Fatchett, who is visiting Jerusalem said: "We believe a credible and significant second further redeployment is essential to making progress in the peace process and that the commitment to a third, further redeployment should also be respected."

Right-wing members of the coalition government have threatened to bring it down if withdrawals continue.

But Mr Netanyahu faces similar threats from moderates who want him to press ahead with peace efforts.

The Israeli Prime Minister will fly to Washington next week to try to sell his troop withdrawal plan to President Clinton.
 

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