Jerusalem must be partitioned: Olmert

21 May 2012, 7:38 am   -   Source: AAP

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert says the notion of a united Jerusalem is unrealistic if Israel truly wants peace.

Former prime minister Ehud Olmert has urged Israeli leaders to relinquish the idea of a unified Jerusalem if they truly want peace, contending in a pair of interviews that years of government neglect have kept the Jewish and Arab sectors irreparably divided.

The comments, made as Israel marked the 45th anniversary of capturing east Jerusalem, were nearly unprecedented for a mainstream Israeli leader and put Olmert at odds with his successor, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Celebrating Israel's control of Jerusalem, Netanyahu declared his government was committed to keeping the entire city Israel's undivided capital.

"No Israeli government since 1967 has done even a smidgen of what was needed in order to unify the city in practical terms. That is a tragedy that is going to lead us, for want of another choice, to making inevitable political concessions," Olmert told the Maariv newspaper.

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed the area, home to sensitive Jewish, Christian and Muslim holy sites and a large Arab population. The Palestinians hope to make east Jerusalem the capital of an independent state, including the neighbouring West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Olmert said the notion of a united Holy City is unrealistic. He said Arab neighbourhoods in east Jerusalem had not been integrated into the city.

"We can't unite them and connect them to the real fabric of life in Jerusalem and, except for grief, we haven't gotten anything from them."

On Sunday, Israel marked the anniversary with marches and speeches throughout the city.

The Palestinians' chief peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said the Israeli celebrations were "clear proof" that Israel is not interested in peace.

"Clearly, this behaviour reflects the mentality of a coloniser, rather than a supposed peace partner."

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