Barak Rejects Islamic Sovereignty Over Sacred Shrine
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak ruled out Islamic sovereignty over a key Jerusalem shrine sacred to Muslims and Jews, closing the door Monday on a Palestinian compromise proposal.
Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, when told of Barak’s response, said: “It’s not up to him to decide.”
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are hung up because of a sovereignty dispute over the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al Sharif, or “noble sanctuary.”
Barak and Arafat accused each other of intransigence Monday and blamed each other for the deadlock.
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