He repeated Israel's demand that the Beirut government deploy its forces at the international border and called on Syria, the main powerbroker in Lebanon, to rein in Hizbollah. TO MEET Earlier in the day, it appeared that a lull in violence had taken hold ahead of U.S.-hosted security talks and a meeting between the Israeli and Jordanian foreign ministers planned for Monday. He brings to his meeting with Israel's Shimon Peres a first-hand account of talks last week in Washington between Jordan's King Abdullah and U.S. President George W. Bush as well as a meeting on Thursday which Khatib held with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. After the meeting with Arafat, Khatib told reporters he had assured the Palestinian president that all efforts were under way to lift travel and other bans imposed on Palestinian cities by Israel. Israel contends the so-called closures stem from security considerations.
Palestinian leaders call the edicts collective punishment.
Monday's security talks are seen as crucial in keeping the violence down and even possibly setting the scene for a resumption of peace talks. Sharon, who has vowed to restore security to Israelis in the face of the uprising that began last September, has said violence must end before peacemaking can begin.