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East Jerusalem's Salah al-Din street. (Tess Scheflan / BauBau) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 16:20 07/11/2007 Israel reports jump in Jerusalem Arabs seeking Israeli citizenship By The Associated Press tags: Palestinians, East Jerusalem  The number of East Jerusalem residents seeking Israeli citizenship has risen sharply in recent months, an Israeli official said Wednesday, as talk of a possible re-division of the city gains momentum. The Interior Ministry has received hundreds of applications for citizenship from Arab residents of East Jerusalem over the past few months, instead of the average of several dozen, said ministry spokeswoman Sabine Hadad. Hadad was unable to provide specific figures but said there has been an increase of hundreds. Advertisement The trend appears to stem from Palestinian fears that they could lose Israeli social benefits, such as health care or welfare payments, if their neighborhoods are shifted to Palestinian control in the future. When Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967, the city's Arabs were given the opportunity to become citizens, yet they rejected it because they refused to acknowledge Israeli control over the city. Instead, they were given the status of permanent residents, holding Israeli ID cards and making them eligible for many benefits enjoyed by Israelis. In contrast to West Bank Palestinians, permanent residents also enjoy freedom of movement in Israel. The rise in citizenship applications comes as Israeli and Palestinian officials prepare for a U.S.-sponsored peace conference at the end of this month in Annapolis, Maryland. The sides have begun discussing core issues that have scuttled the peace process for years, including the future of East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians seek as the capital of a future state. Israeli leaders have indicated a willingness to cede some peripheral Arab neighborhoods to the Palestinians in a peace deal. This has raised the possibility that Arab residents could lose their residency status. "There are no precise statistics available on how many East Jerusalem residents request Israeli citizenship," said Amos Gil, director of Ir Amim, a group working for Jewish-Arab coexistence in Jerusalem. But many have been increasingly cut off from the West Bank by Israel's separation barrier, which runs through the city, he said, and have been forced to come to terms with living under Israeli control. Many also fear being cut off from their jobs, health care and schools if the city is divided, he said. "People say, if what promises us a better life economically is being more Israeli," then I have no choice, Gil said. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it, a move never recognized by the international community. Today, around a third of Jerusalem's 750,000 residents are Palestinian. Related articles: PM: Must Arab neighborhoods be defined as part of Jerusalem? Envisioning a divided Jerusalem Kadima members disagree over how J'lem should be divided Peres: Government has no intention of dividing Jerusalem Bookmark to del.icio.us Preface to peace? The U.S. has rejected Abbas' demand for a schedule for the final-status agreement. Crowd control The IFA has banned Beitar Jerusalem fans from two home games for booing Rabin.   1.   Why don`t they want to be Palestinians? 14:41  |  Hastaroth 07/11/07   2.   They should be happy to live with the people they support... 14:53  |  Nannette 07/11/07   3.   Jerusalem MUST BE Divided! So, If They Have To Leave They Should. 15:00  |  Proud Pal Defender 07/11/07   4.   hastaroth 1 15:12  |  realism 07/11/07   5.   jews want undivided capital & arabs want undivided capital 15:21  |  zionist forever 07/11/07   6.   ARABS ALSO WANT A "SECOND PASSPORT" 15:33  |  Robert 07/11/07   7.   No Israeli Citizenship 15:49  |  Ron 07/11/07   8.   OF COURSE THEY WANT TO STAY IN ISRAEL 15:51  |  YUR END IS NEAR 07/11/07   9.   A Blow to Those Who Deride Arab Mentality 15:58  |  Jay A Friedman 07/11/07   10.   One Word 16:06  |  Alan 07/11/07   11.   I tremble !! 16:07  |  Sheila 07/11/07   12.   Lieberman`s ideas about pledge of allegiance 16:12  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 07/11/07   13.   Just to help you understand abit better 16:20  |  Arab 07/11/07   14.   The real reason 16:36  |  Omar 07/11/07   15.   Israeli Citizenship 16:40  |  Jerusalem Jew 07/11/07   16.   Ron in CA (an outsider) 16:41  |  Omar 07/11/07   17.   It is good to have dual nationality (ask any American Jew) 16:47  |  American Indian 07/11/07   18.   Arab, your recorded family history must have a 16:47  |  Raanan 07/11/07   19.   Arab: From East Jerusalem AMEN! 16:49  |  American 07/11/07   20.   don`t kid yourselves 16:51  |  Omar 07/11/07   21.   Zionist Forever: Keep Israel united, arab 16:51  |  American 07/11/07   22.   Time to make a big red rubber stamp 17:10  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 07/11/07   23.   Clicky,Durson,indrajaya,Chris,lockshmock & 17:17  |  TOMY 07/11/07   24.   That`s a vote of confidence in Israel 17:38  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 07/11/07   25.   undercover militants 18:10  |  matilda 07/11/07   26.   This proves there is no point creating a Palestinian state 18:13  |  Gili 07/11/07   27.   Jerusalem Jew #15 18:30  |  Polybios 07/11/07   28.   Retuning Americans 18:31  |  Edifice 07/11/07   29.   # 24 margie 19:00  |  Axel 07/11/07   30.   Jay Friedman 19:07  |  Lynn 07/11/07   31.   but heaven forbid they do any national service 19:40  |  bob 07/11/07   32.   To Omar 19:46  |  Ron 07/11/07   33.   CITIZENSHIP IS ONLY A TOOL... ATTACHMENT TO LAND IS THE ISSUE 19:50  |  Citizen of the World 07/11/07   34.   # 31 bob 19:57  |  Axel 07/11/07   35.   Axel 20:11  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 07/11/07   36.   # 35 margie 21:04  |  Axel 07/11/07   37.   # 32 21:08  |  Axel 07/11/07   38.   Voting with their feet for Israeli sovereignty in all Jerusalem 21:13  |  Daniel 07/11/07   39.   Just say no 21:26  |  B 07/11/07   40.   # 36 margie - 2 21:33  |  Axel 07/11/07   41.   # 36 margie - 3 21:38  |  Axel 07/11/07   42.   #36 Axel 22:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 07/11/07   43.   A binational state 22:30  |  Steve 07/11/07   44.   Perhaps they are confused by the twisting barrier? 22:37  |  Fortuna Benmayor 07/11/07   45.   #17, American Indian 22:42  |  Yoni Gross 07/11/07   46.   What if they will constitute a security risk to Israel in future? 22:56  |  Alicia 07/11/07   47.   # 42 margie 23:56  |  Axel 07/11/07   48.   Axel 07:43  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 08/11/07   49.   edifice 28 00:19  |  realism 09/11/07

Today Online IDF reservists: Hamas militants fight like soldiers, not terrorists Responses: 252 Iran rejects Interpol warrant for suspects in Argentine bombing Responses: 81 UNRWA chief: Blockade on Gaza fuel support for extremists Responses: 126 Report: Washington worried Israel gearing up to attack Iran Responses: 115 Haaretz.com TV: Judaism seeking rebirth in Poland Responses: 56 David Grossman snubs Olmert upon receiving prize Responses: 46 Rosner's Domain * The 2008 candidates and the lies of "change" * Short of confronting Damascus, options are limited (WTR) * Rosner's Guest: Let's create a women's Talmud * Does Ron Paul single out Israel? More Headlines 23:04 Officials: PA, Israel want U.S. help on summit draft 23:06 UN Chief orders full probe of rocket launching from school in Gaza 01:25 Israeli envoy to U.K. Zvi Heifetz likely to advise Blair on Mideast 23:44 Barak and Olmert meet face-to-face to level working tensions 20:33 Prague neo-Nazis plan march in Jewish quarter despite city ban 23:02 Hezbollah: Drill held at Israel border meant to ready us for war 15:53 Iran rejects Interpol warrant for suspects in Argentine bombing 19:55 Three tourists killed, two locals injured in Negev road accident 20:34 El Al plane from N.Y. hits flower crates at B-G Airport; no injuries 19:17 Israeli stores recall toy found with elements of date-rape drug Previous Editions Select Day 08 nov 07 nov 06 nov 05 nov 04 nov 02 nov 01 nov 31 oct 30 oct 29 oct 28 oct 26 oct

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