September 30, 1996

Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, after intensive diplomatic efforts by US, agree to go to Washington to seek ways out of confrontation that has put entire Israeli-Palestinian peace in jeopardy; Pres Clinton will act as host to meetings, scheduled to begin on Oct 1 with US officials conferring separately with Israelis and Palestinians; Clinton says King Hussein of Jordan will attend; Egyptian Pres Hosni Mubarak has delayed announcing whether he will participate; photos (M)

Bitter New Jersey Senatorial race between Reprs Robert G Torricelli and Richard A Zimmer discussed; both candidates describe need to raise millions of dollars to pay for expensive advertising on television and radio and of hiring political consultants to help them in their bid for Senate seat being vacated by Sen Bill Bradley; public opinion polls have race virtually even; map (M)

Experts agree that growing reliance on computer networks and telecommunications makes nation increasingly vulerable to 'cyberattacks' on military war rooms, power plants, telephone networks, air traffic control centers and banks; Pres Clinton has created commission to craft coordinated policy to deal with threat of such high-tech information warfare; weapons of information warfare are mostly computer software or advanced electronic hardware; recent confidential survey found 40 major corporations lost estimated $800 million because of computer break-ins, both in lost intellectual property and money; and at least four banks have made recent payments of roughly $100,000 each to hacker extortionists; drawing (L)

Amtrak and New Jersey Transit will spend $250 million over next five years to upgrade 58 miles of track they share on New York-to-Trenton line (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)

New Jersey Legislature to hold special session at Princeton University's Nassau Hall to mark university's 250th birthday (New Jersey Daily Briefing) (S)