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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
| Israel okays Palestinian Jerusalem vote, arrests candidates | |
| 2006-01-16 | |
| Israel gave its approval Sunday for Arab residents of East Jerusalem to vote in this month's Palestinian election but followed up a ban on campaigning by Hamas by detaining four of its candidates. A total of 10 Hamas members were held by the Israeli police in Jerusalem after the Islamists made good on their vow to defy the ban. The Palestinian leadership, whose ruling Fateh faction is facing a tight race with Hamas in the poll, also slammed the uneven playing field being imposed by Israel and urged it allow electioneering to take place unhindered. Israel's acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert formally submitted the proposals to Cabinet colleagues at only their second regular meeting since Premier Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke 11 days ago. "I propose to the Cabinet that the election in East Jerusalem be conducted on the same basis as in 1996 and 2005," Olmert told the meeting, in comments carried on Israeli radio. Palestinians living in East Jerusalem, occupied and then annexed by Israel in 1967, were able to vote in the last parliamentary elections a decade ago and in last January's presidential election in post offices. However Olmert said Israel would not allow Hamas to campaign in occupied East Jerusalem, which Israel considers part of its "undivided eternal" capital, a position not recognised by the international community. "Under no circumstances will we permit Hamas to enter Jerusalem and carry out electioneering," he said.
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Hamas is a trerrorist group but Western media now calls it 'militant' instead. part of the islamist apologetics. |
| Posted by: anon1 2006-01-16 04:57 |