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The Western Wall in Jerusalem. (Daniel Bar-On/Jini)
Last update - 18:38 29/01/2008
World Jewish leaders gear up to block division of Jerusalem
By Barak Ravid
Tags: Ehud Olmert 

Negotiations over Jerusalem may take center stage at Tuesday's meeting of the World Jewish Congress board of governors: Delegates from rightist political parties are trying to muster a majority for a resolution on the matter that would embarrass Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

At a meeting of the executive of the WJC's Jerusalem chapter on Monday, Yoav Blum, chapter vice chairman and a representative of the Likud Party, proposed submitting a resolution stating that "united Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the state of Israel and must not be divided." But chapter chairman MK Shai Hermesh, of Olmert's Kadima Party, prevented a vote and closed the meeting.

In response, some delegates decided to submit the resolution on their own - but only if they are confident of a majority.
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The WJC's battle over Jerusalem began three weeks ago, when organization president Ron Lauder - who is considered close to Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu - published an open letter urging Olmert to take world Jewish opinion into account during talks over Jerusalem. Olmert subsequently canceled his planned speech to the board of governors, which is meeting at the Inbal Hotel in the capital.

Olmert confirmed Monday the report in Haaretz that he plans to defer discussion of Jerusalem to the end of his talks with the Palestinians.

"The negotiations with the Palestinians will deal with all the issues," he told a Kadima faction meeting. "However, that doesn't mean they will deal with all the issues simultaneously?The issue of Jerusalem is very sensitive, and it is better to begin with issues on which there is a chance of reaching understandings than to start with matters in which the initial disagreements are large."

The Haaretz report also attributed this decision to his desire to keep Shas in the government - the party has threatened to quit if Jerusalem comes up for discussion.

Related articles:
  • Shas rabbis: Party will quit coalition immediately if J'lem discussed
  • Israel-Diaspora relations / Olmert snubs WJC after Lauder's open letter on Jerusalem
  • Peres: Government has no intention of dividing Jerusalem

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      1.   international jerusalem, no state capitol 07:50  |  bashar 29/01/08
      2.   Jerusalem is exclusively Jewish. 08:50  |  Harold Lane 29/01/08
      3.   No need to even discuss Jerusalem since there is no one with whom 09:09  |  Avihu 29/01/08
      4.   The Jebusites Should Have a Say 10:40  |  MaoSayTongue 29/01/08
      5.   #1 Bashar. "International Jerusalem, no state capital." 10:41  |  Maureen Ann 29/01/08
      6.   Herod might have been from modern-day Jordan. 10:54  |  Michael 29/01/08
      7.   "ALL the land of CANAAN, for an EVERLASTING POSESSION:" 11:14  |  mary for jews 29/01/08
      8.   Being a Jew seems to be all about greed 11:33  |  Natallie Durson 29/01/08
      9.   Maybe Jerusalem should be declared a world heritage site.... 11:33  |  Deborah 29/01/08
      10.   UN control over Jerusalem 11:47  |  Mohammad 29/01/08
      11.   IT CAN, IT WILL, IT SHOULD BE DIVIDED 11:58  |  indrajaya 29/01/08
      12.   #7 mary for jews 12:11  |  Jimmy 29/01/08
      13.   #Natalie Durson" 12:16  |  H 29/01/08
      14.   To Natalie Durson 12:18  |  MG 29/01/08
      15.   Jerusalem 12:21  |  MG 29/01/08
      16.   One Israel One Jewish Jerusalem 12:45  |  Petra 29/01/08
      17.   save their breath 12:46  |  Truth 29/01/08
      18.   # 4 And where and who are the Jubusites? Certainly NOT Muslims, 12:47  |  Petra 29/01/08
      19.   # 12 Jimmy Muslims ? Pain? 9-11 12:48  |  Petra 29/01/08
      20.   Natalie Durston 12:49  |  Jean Jacques R 29/01/08
      21.   Jerusalem is partly occupied 13:28  |  Minda 29/01/08
      22.   " Being a Jew .." #8 by Natalie Burston 13:31  |  Claire from Toulon 29/01/08
      23.   Negotiate DealBreakers First, If Anything 13:40  |  Raoul Isaac 29/01/08
      24.   as bush h. just said, palestine will be 14:18  |  bozhidar balkas 29/01/08
      25.   Why either united or divided? 14:20  |  sh 29/01/08
      26.   Jerusalem is the capital of Israel 14:37  |  JI aka Yussef Gideon 29/01/08
      27.   All This Historical Banter Is Besides The Point 15:13  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/01/08
      28.   Jerusalem 15:15  |  Jacob 29/01/08
      29.   Jerusalem is not the democratic capital of Israel 15:18  |  SJ 29/01/08
      30.   The Jewish people v Natalie Durston 15:57  |  S Marshall 29/01/08
      31.   JERUSALEM MUST NOT BE DIVIDED 16:10  |  MJ 29/01/08
      32.   Petra 16:25  |  Said 29/01/08
      33.   International Capitol? 16:29  |  Steve 29/01/08
      34.   MJ Jerusalem Is Already Divided 16:31  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/01/08
      35.   God and the Holy Land 16:31  |  Said 29/01/08
      36.   S Marshall and what slums do you come from? 16:32  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/01/08
      37.   One Thing Is Clear 17:04  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/01/08
      38.   .......Divided we fall 17:23  |  Edward H 29/01/08
      39.   letters coinciding with the planets becoming part of belief? 17:41  |  montgomery rosen 29/01/08
      40.   Yaakov 17:50  |  Mark 29/01/08
      41.   TALK OF SPLITTING JERUSALEM IS FANTASY 18:14  |  Lou Knee 29/01/08
      42.   #1 ,Bashar.Jerusalem the International enclave... 19:06  |  Hamza 29/01/08
      43.   The Arabs Catagorically Rejected UNGA Res. 181 19:15  |  Tom 29/01/08
      44.   World Jewish leaders destroying peace for Israelis and Pals 19:18  |  peacelover 29/01/08
      45.   JERUSALEM WAS UNITED, ZIONISTS DIVIDED IT 19:47  |  TrippleJump 29/01/08
      46.   #43.Tom of DENVER(USA)What the...... 20:02  |  Sandy Gabriel 29/01/08
      47.   Erm...#45 seems to have missed a bit. 20:05  |  Tom 29/01/08
      48.   Some real questions 20:13  |  Analysis 29/01/08
      49.   BInational regime for the Old City 20:18  |  Danite 29/01/08
      50.   The only way for Peace is to adopt the SAUDI PLAN. 20:20  |  Al Sa`d 29/01/08
      51.   what will happen ..... 20:31  |  flimflam 29/01/08
      52.   Sandy Gabriel/Jewish Jerusalem 20:33  |  Tom 29/01/08
      53.   Nonsense 20:37  |  Gene 29/01/08
      54.   Haaretz re #8:"Being a Jew seems to be all about greed" 20:39  |  Morris L 29/01/08
      55.   Better Divide than Apartheid, religious lunatics out ! 20:41  |  Joe W 29/01/08
      56.   re no : 30 Natalie Durson 20:48  |  Stephan J 29/01/08
      57.   `mohammed` # 10: if un to run jerusalem, then mecca & medina too 21:05  |  frenz 29/01/08
      58.   Mark, I was Not Defending Her Statement 21:07  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/01/08
      59.   Nattalie Durson 21:08  |  Stephen 29/01/08
      60.   Yaakov 21:26  |  Mark 29/01/08
      61.   Stephen # 53 re Natalie Durson 21:29  |  Emily Broomfield 29/01/08
      62.   No Jerusalem and no W.B Jordan is Palestinian State 22:02  |  e.m.Jordan is Palest 29/01/08
      63.   #58 Stephen - if Ha`aretz did what you asked, this forum..... 22:16  |  Don Camillo 29/01/08
      64.   no 36 re S Marshall 22:16  |  Nadav 29/01/08
      65.   One Jewish Jerusalem 22:41  |  Robert 29/01/08
      66.   Even "Yaakov Sulivan" sees the racism 22:43  |  Tom 29/01/08
      67.   #22 Claire from Toulon re Natallie 22:46  |  Labhras 29/01/08
      68.   hey Zionist or Jew Get a life flim flaN 23:03  |  Robert 29/01/08
      69.   #56/59/61 et al re Natallie Durson 23:11  |  Labhras 29/01/08
      70.   #64, That would be a perspicacious 10 year old, indeed 23:20  |  Tom 29/01/08
      71.   Jerusalem MUST NOT be Divided 23:30  |  Mannesah 29/01/08