MK Meir Porush of United Torah Judaism (UTJ), a candidate for mayor of Jerusalem, is pushing his party to insist that Kadima head Tzipi Livni promise not to give up control over any part of the capital before joining a Kadima-led government. If UTJ is to join the coalition, Livni must publicly write out and sign a declaration vowing not to offer any part of the city in negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, Porush says.
Porush has met with Shas party chairman Eli Yishai to discuss the matter and coordinate UTJ's demands with those of Shas. Shas has already announced that it will not join Livni's coalition without a promise that Jerusalem will not be discussed in negotiations with the PA. However, UTJ has yet to make any demands regarding territorial concessions, and has focused on requesting higher government-funded child support payments for families with many children.
Porush said Thursday that he will not accept anything less than “A united and complete Jerusalem, including full Israeli sovereignty over the Temple Mount.” The declaration came just days after Porush told a radio interviewer that he believed the Muslim Waqf should have full control over the Temple Mount and implied that Jews should not be allowed to access the site, leading to concerns that he was not committed to maintaining Israeli sovereignty in the area.
The idea that UTJ could join a government that would threaten the unity of Jerusalem is “unthinkable,” Porush said. “Even the smallest doubt in this matter would be a sufficient reason not to join the government,” he said.
Livni has refused to commit to maintaining Israeli sovereignty in all of Jerusalem, and has also refused to increasing child payments to the amounts demanded by UTJ and Shas. On Thursday, she announced that if she does not succeed in creating a government by Sunday she will call for national elections—a statement apparently meant to pressure Shas into reducing its demands. Yishai responded by warning Livni that if she creates a coalition that includes only left-wing secular parties, she risks angering several MKs from her own party and could fail to get party approval for her government.