Tuesday, January 04, 2005

THE PALESTINIAN ELECTION takes place on Sunday. Here's a summary the current state of play regarding East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount:
Meanwhile, although Israel claims sovereignty over all Jerusalem, it is permitting Palestinian candidates to campaign in East Jerusalem's Arab quarters.

Two of the seven candidates have already campaigned in the city, although one was briefly detained when he did so without permission.

Aides to Mr Abbas said he was expected to visit Jerusalem in the next day or two.

The status of East Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive subjects dividing Israel and the Palestinians.

Mr Abbas has made it clear that, like Arafat, his primary goal is to establish a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem, which contains the Noble Sanctuary, the third-holiest site in Islam.

This, however, is also the holiest site of Jews, who know it as the Temple Mount.

Israel's position is that it will not relinquish sovereignty over East Jerusalem, annexed after the 1967 Six-Day War.

Nevertheless, the Israeli Government has agreed to permit the city's 200,000 Arabs to participate in the Palestinian elections.

Also, it seems that the candidates will not be allowed to visit the Temple Mount, although none of them seem to have asked to do so yet.

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