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President Shimon Peres (GPO) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 13:57 01/11/2007 Palestinians seek to renew institutional activities in E. J'lem By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent tags: Palestinians, Jerusalem  The Palestinian Authority has demanded that Israel formally sanction a document in which it promises to permit Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem to continue to operate, the Shin Bet security service has told the government in recent days. The document, known as the "Peres letter," was appended to the Oslo II agreements of 1993. The Shin Bet - which is presenting its analysis of the negotiating stance the Palestinians are expected to put forward at next month's Annapolis peace conference - has also warned Prime Minister Ehud Olmert against falling into the trap of declaring Israeli recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Advertisement The warning points especially to the fact that "East Jerusalem" is understood to encompass the Old City and the Western Wall, both. Shin Bet analysts are weary of a Palestinian negotiating ploy in which Israel would be lured to agree in principle to recognize East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state, while delaying debate on the particular details of which side would maintain authority over religious sites. President Shimon Peres, who served as foreign minister at the time of the signing of the Oslo Accords, had dispatched a letter to his Norwegian counterpart, Johan Jorgen Holst, stating Israel's recognition of the importance of Palestinian institutions in the city and its commitment to protect them. Initially, Peres denied the existence of the letter after former PA Chairman Yasser Arafat revealed its contents. The intense public pressure which ensued from within the media and the political community eventually forced Peres to acknowledge the letter as fact. The Palestinians are demanding that Israel allow the renewed activity of Palestinian institutions in east Jerusalem, chief among them Orient House, which was shut down in August 2001 in response to the Palestinian suicide bombing of the Sbarro pizzeria in the city. The Palestinian demand is one of a series of measures in which Israel is expected to adopt so as to ease tensions on the ground, as is prescribed in the road map. The first stage of the road map stipulates that Israel reopen the Palestinian Chamber of Commerce "and other closed Palestinian institutions in east Jerusalem... in accordance with prior agreements between the parties." The Palestinians were forbidden from undertaking government activities in east Jerusalem, and were required to preserve the status of these institutions as bodies of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Since 2001, Israel has balked at requests to allow these institutions to resume functioning. Indeed, Jerusalem has viewed the closure of these bodies as one of its significant achievements from the intifada period. As one of its reservations in agreeing to the road map, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government stated that the Palestinian Authority's status in Jerusalem is a matter to be discussed as part of final status talks, not beforehand. Livni, Qureia meet privately in Jerusalem Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Wednesday met privately in Jerusalem with the head of the Palestinian negotiating team, Ahmed Qureia, as part of ongoing bilateral talks in preparation for the upcoming U.S.-sponsored regional peace summit. No further details were given about the meeting. Palestinian negotiators have insisted to their Israeli counterparts that they are meeting their requirements under the first phase of the road map, which include: consolidating their security apparatus; renouncing violence; and appointing a prime minister and a cabinet with executive powers separate from those of the Palestinian Authority chairman. The Palestinians say they remain committed to prior agreements signed with Israel. The Palestinian negotiators repeated their demand that Israel cease settlement construction and expansion, and that Israel withdraw to its positions prior to September 28, 2000, the day which marked the start of the Al-Aqsa intifada. Related articles: Shin Bet warns against PA 'trick' at Annapolis Interior Min. increasingly revoking E. J'lem Arabs' residency permits Report to address possible effects of dividing Jerusalem East Jerusalem residents face 'Kafkaesque bureaucracy' Bookmark to del.icio.us Academic freedom The High Court has challenged strict IDF criteria for the entry of Palestinian students. Rapping rabbi British Jewish rapper MC Rebbe is a finalist in the world's largest blog competition.   1.   They Have NO Share In OUR Jerusalem 10:28  |  Yishai Kohen 01/11/07   2.   TRY AND DIVIDE JERUSALEM=WW3 11:03  |  WARRIOR 01/11/07   3.   Jerusalem is Israel`s sovereign area and no Palestinian Arab 11:50  |  Dan 01/11/07   4.   If i forget thee, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her ... 11:52  |  mary for jews 01/11/07   5.   Jerusalem has become a sad city 12:05  |  The Arab Hammer 01/11/07   6.   Peres under easch stone 12:17  |  Nora 01/11/07   7.   Shin Bet cries "CRICKEY! These pals are getting smart!" 14:03  |  Johnboy 01/11/07   8.   Without East Jerusalem back as it 14:07  |  Khalil Abo Mohammad 01/11/07   9.   #5 Arab Hammer Dream on, IT`S ISRAELS AS IT WAS 3,000YEARS AGO 14:29  |  Petra 01/11/07   10.   #3 Dan AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!! 14:32  |  Petra 01/11/07   11.   #4 Mary for Jews, BRAVO LADY!!!!!! 14:33  |  Petra 01/11/07   12.   #8 can`t stop the lies, can you? 14:37  |  Petra 01/11/07   13.   Land theft based on the word of GOD = Israel 14:48  |  POP 01/11/07   14.   The Arab Hammer 15:09  |  MR 01/11/07   15.   #13pop believs god wrote the balfour declaration 15:26  |  victor hardman 01/11/07   16.   PA HQ should go back to Jerusalem... the Palestinian Capital 16:00  |  TrippleJump 01/11/07   17.   NO JERUSALEM = NO PEACE EVER 16:02  |  Rami 01/11/07   18.   PERES LETTER : IT IS A DEAD LETTER 16:26  |  P.Ostman 01/11/07   19.   NO PEACE = NAQBA 16:30  |  Yishai Kohen 01/11/07   20.   MR 16:38  |  Mr. man 01/11/07   21.   Arab Hammer - I sympathize with you 16:40  |  Christian-American 01/11/07   22.   Must divide to reunite 16:44  |  Omar 01/11/07   23.   #18 Balfour declaration is also a dead letter.. 16:56  |  POP 01/11/07   24.   "fingers crossed", you say, Postman 17:13  |  Murray 01/11/07   25.   ZIONISM WILL GO TO HELL SOON 18:47  |  Kamelia 01/11/07   26.   #20 21:38  |  MR 01/11/07   27.   It`s eastern Jerusalem, not East Jerusalem 01:42  |  Smooth Stone 05/11/07

Today Online Court challenges criteria for Palestinian student entry to Israel Responses: 119 Turkey seeks right to build monument in Jerusalem's Old City Responses: 146 IAF strikes kill four Palestinians after Qassams hit Negev Responses: 241 Leftists scuffle with supporters of Rabin's assassin outside jail Responses: 120 Olmert: Core issues are on the agenda for Annapolis summit Responses: 205 Rosner's Domain * NY's Bloomberg: No rational case for bombing Iran * Rosner's new Guest: Women's perspective on the Torah * The genes that make Jews smart (What To Read) * AIPAC trial: Bring on the top government officials More Headlines 23:51 Olmert: Core issues are on the Annapolis agenda 02:11 Military Advocate General to ask for freeze of Winograd report 20:12 Three East J'lem men arrested for planning attacks in Israel 02:00 Beitar J'lem soccer fans boo Rabin before draw with Maccabi Haifa 20:49 Gov't okays payments for overlooked Holocaust survivors 18:47 IDF strikes kill 4 Gazans as Qassam volleys hit Negev 17:51 Protesters scuffle with supporters of Rabin's assassin outside jail 20:39 Palestinian factions DFLP, PFLP attempt to mediate between Hamas, Fatah 02:03 'Rapping rabbi' makes finals in world's largest blog competition 19:11 PA awards former Mideast envoys Wolfensohn, Hansen prize for excellence Previous Editions Select Day 04 nov 02 nov 01 nov 31 oct 30 oct 29 oct 28 oct 26 oct 25 oct 24 oct 23 oct 22 oct

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