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Yisrael Beitenu Chair Avigdor Lieberman speaking to the press earlier this week. (Daniel Bar On / Jini)
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Likud urges Shas, Lieberman to quit gov't over PM's 'intention'
By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Ehud Olmert, Shas, Jerusalem 

Likud officials on Monday called for Shas and Yisrael Beitenu to immediately withdraw from the coalition in response to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's "declared intention" to divide Jerusalem.

The prime minister, along with Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party, is known to support relinquishing "fringe neighborhoods" in the eastern part of Jerusalem. Shas, by contrast, has made it clear that should the question of Jerusalem's unity come up for discussion, the coalition's survivability would be far from certain.

Earlier Monday, Olmert questioned whether Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem should be defined as part of Israel's capital.
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"Was it necessary to include Shuafat refugee camp, Arab al-Suwahara and Walajeh as part of Jerusalem? I admit, there are some legitimate questions to be asked about that," Olmert told the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem, during a commemorative session for slain minister Rehavam Ze'evi, who was assassinated six years ago.

Olmert's words, which hinted that Israel may be willing to divide the hotly-disputed city, comprised the first formal statement on the subject. Olmert's reference was made against the backdrop of a heated discussion within the ranks of his party, Kadima, on the question of dividing Jerusalem.

Olmert's deputy, Haim Ramon, recently advocated dividing Jerusalem in accordance with former U.S. president Bill Clinton's plan for the capital. Clinton's plan would put the Old City and the Temple Mount, along with other areas which are inhabited by Arabs, under Palestinian control. Furthermore, the plan proposes to allow the Palestinian Authority to declare the areas under its control in Jerusalem as its capital.

However, a group of Kadima members, headed by Otniel Schneller, is opposed to such a move. They advocate adhering to the party's agenda, which calls for Jerusalem's unity.

Olmert has so far refrained from commenting on Ramon's plan, but sources close to the prime minister said he supports some of these blueprints.

In the past, Olmert had adamantly opposed plans to divide Jerusalem. When the subject came up during the 2000 Camp David summit, Olmert led a mass march of some 350,000 protesters against the plan to divide the city.

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      1.   jerusalem 02:59  |  colin 16/10/07
      2.   future of israel 03:58  |  aw 16/10/07
      3.   OLMERT FAILED, STEP DOWN,CAN`T TRUST NATION`S SECURITY TO A CROOK 04:44  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 16/10/07
      4.   Olmert and Jerusalem 05:16  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 16/10/07
      5.   Shas and Lieberman 05:35  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 16/10/07
      6.   when Olmert dispised his "birthright". Genesis 25:34 08:00  |  mary for jews. 16/10/07
      7.   Shared sounds better than divided, is equitable, promoting peace 08:42  |  Ivar 16/10/07
      8.   Shas shoud quit politics all togoether 08:46  |  SJ 16/10/07
      9.   Historical data proves Jewish Temples were south of Temple Mount 08:47  |  Ivar 16/10/07
      10.   Julian`s 4th century 3rd Temple was NOT on the Temple Mount 11:04  |  Ivar 16/10/07
      11.   Israels deficit for 2007,- $9,5 Billions 11:33  |  Samuel Foster 16/10/07
      12.   #11 sam has had too many fosters ! 11:51  |  victor hardman 16/10/07
      13.   More than Enough Time for Loser Olmert..... 12:26  |  Dagma 16/10/07
      14.   Imagine Hamas and Hizbollah in Jerusalem 12:36  |  Zalman Velvel 16/10/07
      15.   Coalition survivability farfrom certain 12:46  |  Nora 16/10/07
      16.   #9 IVAR"when you repeat the lie many times it becomes the truth" 13:46  |  Hard Talk 16/10/07
      17.   #13 Dagma: if the whole Knesset and the gov. 13:50  |  Hard Talk 16/10/07
      18.   Bibi you failed..let others try 13:51  |  Ted 16/10/07
      19.   # Mary for Jews: how do you know if that is exactly 13:58  |  Hard Talk 16/10/07
      20.   #11 Paul Harris aka hardhead 14:33  |  Labhras 16/10/07
      21.   to zalman 15:00  |  sanny 16/10/07
      22.   Why DId Kadima Put LABOR in Defense and `PEace Plan` Team! 15:21  |  Ben K 16/10/07
      23.   Responsible thing to do 15:24  |  Brod 16/10/07
      24.   #2 aw in shemyam 15:27  |  Boycott 16/10/07
      25.   Remember When Arabs Had Jerusalem! 15:32  |  ME 16/10/07
      26.   "East Jerusalem" is NOT Jerusalem 15:44  |  dan 16/10/07
      27.   PM violates #97+100 of Penal Code. File Police complaint 15:45  |  sam 16/10/07
      28.   To Hard Talk $ 17 - ` Parliamentary strike`... 15:50  |  Dagma 16/10/07
      29.   UN resolutions 15:55  |  Anne 16/10/07
      30.   To ME # 25 - When Arabs had Jerusalem.... 16:17  |  Dagma 16/10/07
      31.   What`s your point, Ivar? 16:37  |  Polybios 16/10/07
      32.   Anne #29 16:40  |  Brod 16/10/07
      33.   Ivar #7 - it takes 2 to share 17:09  |  Polybios 16/10/07
      34.   Question for Ivar 17:19  |  Polybios 16/10/07
      35.   Brod&# 32 17:54  |  Anne 16/10/07
      36.   sannny- ignorant generalizations aren`t helpful 18:10  |  Polybios 16/10/07
      37.   #14 Zalman: we won´t be davening at the Kotel 18:27  |  Hard Talk 16/10/07
      38.   #20 the irish tinker lambarse still sending messages from newyork 18:45  |  victor hardman 16/10/07
      39.   Likud hypocrisy and Kadima egotism 21:29  |  Polybios 16/10/07
      40.   To Ivar # 7 - Jews and Palestinians equal righta? 21:48  |  Dolly 16/10/07
      41.   To Ted # 18 - Olmert 22:23  |  Dolly 16/10/07
      42.   Why dont they ... 22:24  |  Danite 16/10/07
      43.   #18..Ted 23:19  |  Barry 16/10/07
      44.   Polybios arcane questions will need documentation 23:27  |  Ivar 16/10/07
      45.   Dolly, the Palestinians have been there longer than the Jews 23:35  |  Ivar 16/10/07
      46.   Likud should realize... 00:07  |  Maureen Ann 17/10/07
      47.   #40 Dolly: "King David founded JERUSALEM..." 00:11  |  hala 17/10/07
      48.   #32 Brod : "Israel was already in existence...." 00:18  |  hala 17/10/07
      49.   #38 Paul harris has one "Victor" too many 00:21  |  Labhras 17/10/07
      50.   Independent Aboriginistine is not even mentioned by Moron Bum #46 01:54  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/10/07
      51.   Hala #48 02:14  |  Brod 17/10/07
      52.   May God fogrive us. 04:00  |  Kevin Minailo 17/10/07
      53.   May God forgive us. 04:00  |  Kevin Minailo 17/10/07
      54.   NETANYAHU IS NEEDED TO SORT OUT THE MESS 04:33  |  B.Anditto 17/10/07
      55.   Dear Hard Talk, don`t be angry... u mistaken me... 04:44  |  mary for jews. 17/10/07
      56.   PALESTINIANS WERE NOT APACHES OR ABORIGINS 05:03  |  indrajaya 17/10/07
      57.   Re #3: VOICE of MOSHIACH))) has proven it once again! 05:31  |  Hard2Breathe 17/10/07
      58.   # 50 to the genuine tosefta copy 05:45  |  eric 17/10/07
      59.   Mr HardTalk, the natural branches regrafted in will stay forever 07:16  |  mary for jews. 17/10/07
      60.   Polybios, Heraclius certainly never built on Temple Mount 08:50  |  Ivar 17/10/07
      61.   #55Eric. Nothing `genuine` about the impostor #50! 09:19  |  Maureen Ann 17/10/07
      62.   #2 arab faker 09:23  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 17/10/07
      63.   #49 irish tinker invents software without brain ?? 09:35  |  victor hardman 17/10/07
      64.   Readable proof that Herod`s Temple was South of TM 10:05  |  Ivar 17/10/07
      65.   Mary for jews misled by Christian Zionist false dogma 11:19  |  Ivar 17/10/07
      66.   #47 hala 11:27  |  Boycott 17/10/07
      67.   # 59 Mary for Jews 12:19  |  Hard Talk 17/10/07
      68.   Dolly & Barry # 41 &43 - Olmert 12:24  |  TED 17/10/07
      69.   #65 IVAR Ibrahimonovitz: ever heard of FREEDOM of religion? 12:56  |  Hard Talk 17/10/07
      70.   Ivar #60 - Read Josephus 15:59  |  Polybios 17/10/07
      71.   Polybios, "the mount" was "Moriah", not the TM 18:06  |  Ivar 17/10/07
      72.   HT, the only fair limit of freedom of both speech and religion 18:10  |  Ivar 17/10/07
      73.   Olmert 19:03  |  Observer 17/10/07
      74.   Ivar - more nonsense 20:17  |  Polybios 17/10/07
      75.   #72 IVAR: let´s get this right! 23:03  |  Hard Talk 17/10/07
      76.   More Sabotaging... 02:41  |  Dutch 18/10/07
      77.   Mount Moriah is the Temple Mount, Ivar 16:17  |  Polybios 18/10/07
      78.   # 61 fear thee not, maureen ann 07:30  |  eric 19/10/07
      79.   # 67 some hard talk for "hard talk" 08:07  |  eric 19/10/07
      80.   Polybios, get a topographical map of Mt. Mori