Israeli PM against sharing occupied East Jerusalem

Occupied Jerusalem: An Israeli official says the prime minister remains opposed to sharing control of occupied East Jerusalem with the Palestinians, despite calls by a senior coalition partner to divide the city.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position on occupied East Jerusalem's future could further hinder US efforts to salvage troubled peacemaking.

The Palestinians want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in 1967, as capital of their future state.

Last week, Defence Minister Ehud Barak told US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the city should be shared. But the official said yesterday that Barak did not represent the government's position.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because Netanyahu has not responded publicly to Barak's remarks.

Real issues

Meanwhile, Barak said Israelis and Palestinians have an opportunity to address "real issues" including borders and the fate of Palestinian refugees by moving forward with peace negotiations.

"I think that the real issue is to be ready mentally and psychologically and politically on both sides to take the hard decisions to come to the table and start to negotiate," Barak said in an interview on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, scheduled to air later yesterday.

The US has been trying to persuade Israel and Palestinian National Authority leaders to resume peace talks that stalled in September. Israelis and Palestinians must "stop demonising each other", and make "real progress" in the next few months, Clinton said on Friday in a speech to Palestinian and Israeli officials including Barak. Clinton, speaking in Washington, expressed "deep frustration" that peace talks have not gone further and faster.

In bringing the two sides together in September, President Barack Obama and Clinton said they aimed for a peace settlement within a year. Clinton's speech made no reference to that goal.

Resumption of serious negotiations would require both sides to "talk about the real issues, about borders, security, refugees, occupied Jerusalem, end of conflict and finality of future claims to resume serious negotiation", Barak said. "And I feel that the opportunity is here."

Netanyahu and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed in early September to try to reach an agreement on the framework for a comprehensive peace accord within a year.