No Compromise on East Jerusalem, Shamir Says
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir today said he will not compromise on his demand for all Jerusalem, including predominantly Palestinian East Jerusalem, to remain Israel’s capital just to give a positive answer to U.S. proposals for an Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.
Shamir’s statement, in a nationally broadcast speech to leaders of his right-wing Likud bloc, lessened the already remote chance that Likud’s coalition with the center-left Labor Party could be reconstructed.
Labor leader Shimon Peres, the outgoing vice premier, suggested he would win a showdown in the Knesset (Parliament) on the peace issue, saying there is a “clear majority” in favor of going ahead with the U.S.-backed proposals.
“I think we have more than a fair chance to continue and start a dialogue with the Palestinians. This is the real topic on the agenda . . . ,” he said.
Shamir also met today with rivals within Likud to strengthen his hand before a vote on a Labor-sponsored motion of no confidence Thursday that could end his leadership of the government.
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