国际英语新闻：Israeli PM says ready to make "historic peace" with Palestinians

Erekat and his Israeli counterpart, attorney Yitzhak Molcho, are slated to meet Monday in Jericho for a preparatory meeting, according to unconfirmed media reports.

The second round of talks between Netanyahu and Abbas following the Washington peace summit is scheduled to be held on Sept. 14 at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh and will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and special Middle East envoy George Mitchell.

Netanyahu and Abbas will discuss borders and security arrangements at the day-long talks. They will meet once again the following day in Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu's decision in regard to the settlement construction freeze, due to expire on Sept. 26, remains unknown.

The Israeli premier refrained from discussing the issue of the construction moratorium in last week's peace summit as well as in his address to the cabinet ministers on Sunday. But in a meeting he held with Likud ministers earlier in the day, he clarified that the dilemma of whether or not to extend the moratorium remains a problem.

Netanyahu is currently under heat from his government's right- wing coalition partners to continue building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Vice Premier Silvan Shalom demanded that Netanyahu hold a cabinet meeting on the issue prior to continuing the direct talks in Sharm el-Sheikh.