NEW YORK, March 24: The United States would like to see Yasser Arafat attend the Arab league summit meeting in Beirut, US Vice President Dick Cheney said on Sunday.

In an interview with NBC news programme “Meet the Press’ Cheney said that there were differences in the Israeli cabinet for allowing Mr Arafat to attend the meeting. “Foreign Minister Shimon Peres wants Mr Arafat be allowed to go to Beirut to attend the meeting, but the Israeli Prime Minister Sharon is not convinced so far,” Cheney said.

While saying that he would not meet with Yasser Arafat before this week’s Arab League summit in Beirut, which he said the Palestinian leader should attend, Cheney said “Once Gen. Zinni will give me the green light, and Mr Arafat meets the conditions we have set, I will meet with Arafat.”

“I will not hold the meeting unless we see those circumstances that we specified,” Cheney said adding “To date we haven’t seen them. But if we do, then I’m prepared to go forward with the meeting.”

Cheney asserted time and again that Mr Arafat should attend the Beirut meeting, saying his absence could distract attention from the summit, which the United States hopes will endorse a long-term Saudi peace plan and refrain from harsh criticism of Israel.