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US pressuring Israel to allow east J'lem vote in PA elections
The United States has launched a discreet campaign to pressure Israel to assist the Palestinian Authority in laying the way for elections in the territories, American media reported Sunday. The New York Times quoted US officials as saying that among the demands the Bush administration has leveled at Israel is to allow Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem to participate in the upcoming elections, as was the case in 1996 when Yasser Arafat was elected. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei announced Saturday that elections for the PA chairmanship will be held within 60 days — according to Palestinian Law — by January 9, at the latest. Some Israeli officials rushed to reject the idea that Arab residents of east Jerusalem be allowed to vote in the elections. Speaking on Israel Radio, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said that Israel will not allow and has no interest in allowing such a scenario because it is bound to impede on the residency status of Arab residents, who hold Israeli identification cards although they are not Israeli citizens. Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-11-14 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=48753 |