JERUSALEM. Dec 11: Israel affirmed Friday that it will not withdraw troops from the West Bank unless the top Palestinian decision-making body holds a vote to annual clauses of the PLO charter calling for Israel’s destruction, reports AP.

Israel also rejected a US compromise on the release of Palestinian prisoners, an issue that has sparked riots in the West Bank.

The Palestinians have said they would revoke the clauses only by acclamation, not by a vote, when the Palestine National Council meets on Monday in the presence of US President Bill Clinton.

With its demand. Israel may be setting itself up for a showdown with Clinton who is visiting Israel and the Palestinian areas to usher in the next stage of the Wye River land-for-secu-rity agreement.

Under the accord, the an-

nulment of the offending provisions by the PNC is to clear the way for an Israeli troop pullback. Clinton is unlikely to declare that the PNC has not completed its task.

However, Israeli officials said they would not drop their demand for a vote. "They have to vote in the PNC," said Israeli government spokesman Moshe Fogel. Otherwise, he said. Israel will not turn over additional West Bank territory to the Palestinians because "transfer of territory is irreversible."

On Thursday, the Palestinians took an interim step when a smaller leadership body, the 124-member Palestinian Central Council, declared the charter clauses revoked.

( The 95 members present were asked whether they approved a letter in which Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat informed Clinton that the charter clauses calling for Israel's de-

struction were null and void. In all. 81 voted in favour, seven against and seven abstained.

Asked about the decision. Arafat would only say that "it was a very important and constructive meeting.” The Palestinian leader also said he hoped Clinton would exert pressure on Israel to keep its obligations under the Wye agreement.

Both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement. A key point of contention has been Israel’s pledge to release 750 Palestinian prisoners in three stages by the end of January.

The Palestinians have said Israel broke a promise to release prisoners held for antl-Is-raeli activities. Israel said it never made such a pledge, and accused the Palestinian Authority of incitement over the prisoner issue. A week of Palestinian rioting has left two Palestinians dead and more than a hundred injured.