OLMERT FLOATS IDEA OF DIVIDING JERUSALEM

Chief Negotiator Favors Division of Jerusalem, Incl. Old City (INN)
The lead negotiator on behalf of the government in talks with the PA confirmed his plan to relinquish much of Jerusalem, including in the Old City.

Ministers speak out against Ramon plan (YNet)
Several ministers express outrage at vice premier's letter proposing ceding parts of Jerusalem to Palestinian Authority. Kadima MK warns party could turn into Meretz; Olmert's office says plan does not obligate prime minister

"The government does not have a majority (to support) Haim Ramon's opinions on anything to do with Jerusalem," Pensioners Party Chairman Rafi Eitan said Tuesday following the exposure of the vice premier's letter calling for the division of Jerusalem and the establishment of joint sovereignty over the city's holy sites.

"He does not have a majority in Kadima, not in Labor, not in Shas, and not in Yisrael Beitenu, and certainly not with Rafi Eitan," the minister of pensioner affairs added.

Deputy Prime Minister and Shas Chairman Eli Yishai responded to Ramon's plan saying, "I strongly oppose Minister Ramon's initiative. Jerusalem is the city that has been bringing together the Jewish people for thousands of years, and is not a bargaining chip or piece of real estate. Jerusalem is the Jewish people's right of existence and there is no one who is able to give up that right."

Shas sources added following the Ynet report that "anyone willing to give up Jerusalem in order to preserve the government will end up discovering that Jerusalem is stronger than any government".

Two ministers speaking under condition of anonymity said there was no way that Ramon's initiative would be approved by the government or Knesset in the present situation with the Palestinians. Other ministers reported great unrest among Kadima members following Ramon's report.

"It seems to be another experimental balloon the prime minister is flying using Ramon. This will not pass quietly in the Kadima council's political meeting with Olmert on Thursday. He does not have the status to change Kadima's official platform," one source said.