Israel Puts West Bank Withdrawal on Hold

Israel has postponed a withdrawal from the West Bank for at least two weeks because of a dispute with the Palestinians about the land to be included in the pullout. An Israeli official said the Cabinet would not view the withdrawal maps in a meeting today, which is a requirement for the withdrawal that was slated for Thursday. The Palestinians had demanded that the next withdrawal include areas near East Jerusalem--the sector they hope to make the capital of a future state. They have accused Israel of neglecting the peace talks with them in favor of the negotiations with Syrians underway in the U.S.