Eric Yoffie, the head of the United States-based Reform movement, said Saturday that he had voted against a statement in favor of Jerusalem as a united city on Thursday. The vote was carried out by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and received overwhelming approval.
Yoffie said he had not approved the measure because he saw it as a political statement meant to show dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Olmert and his political confidant Vice Premier Chaim Ramon have floated plans to split the capital city, giving part to the Palestinian Authority. The PA has demanded all areas of Jerusalem that fell under Jordanian control between 1948 and 1967, including the City of David and the Temple Mount.