Most Israelis would oppose partitioning Jerusalem under a peace deal with the Palestinians, a poll found.
According to Tuesday’s survey in Yediot Achronot, 61 percent of Israelis would not agree to any compromise on the status of the capital within the framework of a peace accord.
Twenty-one percent said they would accept a partition, while the rest – 16 percent – said ceding control of east Jerusalem should first be put to a referendum in Israel.
Sixty-one percent of respondents said Israel should retain control of the Temple Mount, even if Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem are transferred to Palestinian control. Sixteen percent said there should be shared Israeli-Palestinian control over the Temple Mount, while 22 percent called for the disputed
religious site to fall under international sovereignty. One percent had no response.
The future of Jerusalem has become a burning issue in Israel since Vice Premier Haim Ramon, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s top deputy, proposed that the city be partitioned along ethnic and religious lines should a peace deal with the Palestinian Authority be secured.
The newspaper did not say how many people were polled, nor did it give a margin of error.
