Israel has rejected a US proposal to supply Palestinian police officers in the West Bank with weapons that would assist them in performing their duties, the leading Ha'aretz daily reported Friday.

A political source in Jerusalem was quoted as saying that the Bush administration's envoys, Elliott Abrams and David Welch, raised the request for arming the Palestinian police during their visit to Israel last week.

"They only reported to us on the Palestinian requests. One ofthe things was to get weapons; they received a negative answer and that was that," the source said.

US officials said that Palestinian security forces need weapons to maintain order in the territories.

The United States is helping train Palestinian security forces and is also interested in supplying them with appropriate materiel.

Source: Xinhua