The final decision will be made by Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the first major one he will make since assuming the authorities of the ill Ariel Sharon.
The Palestinian Authority is scheduled to hold an election for its legislature on Jan. 25. The PA has held such an election only once before, ten years ago.
Although Jerusalem is sovereign Israeli territory, a provision in the 1995 Oslo Interim Agreement requires Israel to enable at least some PA Arabs to vote in eastern Jerusalem post offices, in an arrangement similar to that used for absentee voters. However, the agreement also forbids terrorist groups from taking part in the elections.
There is little that Israel can do to enforce the ban against Hamas in most areas of the Palestinian Authority, except for threatening, as it has done, not to help facilitate the election. In Jerusalem, however, the stakes are higher, as Israel does not want to allow Hamas a foothold its capital city.
On the other hand, PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has threatened to call off the election if Jerusalem Arabs are not permitted to vote. Abu Mazen is not anxious to hold the election in the first place, based on public opinion polls showing that Hamas will do very well against him. Israel does not want to be blamed for the canceling of the elections.
Recommendations for a final decision are being formulated today, and will be submitted to Acting PM Olmert today or tomorrow.
Among those taking part in the consultations, which are being held in Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz's office, are top representatives of the IDF, Foreign Ministry, General Security Service, Public Security Ministry - and Dov Weisglass. Weisglass, who has discussed the issue with American officials, is actively associated with his law firm Weissglass-Almagor that until recently was the law firm of record representing the Jericho Casino and other Palestinian Authority interests, including a group of PA figures who wish to build a casino in southern Gaza. The new casino is to be owned, reported investigative journalist David Bedein, by those who own the Jericho Casino: the PA, an Austrian casino company, the Austrian Bank BAWAG and Martin Schlaff - all of them clients of Weissglass' office.
In the previous PA election, only some 1,000 Jerusalem Arabs voted in eastern Jerusalem post offices, while tens of thousands of others preferred to vote elsewhere or not at all.
Israel yesterday allowed some PA electioneering in Jerusalem, but said that Hamas and other terrorist groups would not be permitted to campaign. Fatah, however, will be allowed to campaign, even though it is armed and has perpetrated many terror attacks against Israel. This is because, as Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra's spokesman Yehuda Maman explained to IMRA, Fatah is not considered "radical."
Ezra himself later said that Fatah accepts the Road Map plan, which Hamas does not.
The decision to allow the campaigning was made in the Prime Minister's Bureau. That office confirmed today that it had received Arutz-7's queries of yesterday regarding the legality of such a decision, given the Oslo ban on PA political activity in Jerusalem, saying that it will contact Arutz-7 when a response is ready.
At a press conference in Gaza last night (Monday), Abu Mazen said that he had received "promises from the United States that the elections would be held in Jerusalem as they were in 1996... I am not ceding, and will not cede, Jerusalem and its residents' rights to take part in the election." He has reportedly threatened to call off elections altogether or, alternatively, to quit if Hamas wins the election.
Gaza commentators quoted on the Hebrew NFC news site said, "The anarchy in the areas is liable to lead to the collapse of Fatah." In light of this, a U.S. administration official who was asked about the promises Abu Mazen said he received from the U.S. about Jerusalem elections, told Ynet, "Abu Mazen should concentrate on making sure the elections are held altogether, and not just in Jerusalem."
A more official response came from U.S. State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack, who would not comment on whether assurances were given, saying only, "This is a matter for the Israelis and Palestinians to decide."
The Palestinian Authority is scheduled to hold an election for its legislature on Jan. 25. The PA has held such an election only once before, ten years ago.
Although Jerusalem is sovereign Israeli territory, a provision in the 1995 Oslo Interim Agreement requires Israel to enable at least some PA Arabs to vote in eastern Jerusalem post offices, in an arrangement similar to that used for absentee voters. However, the agreement also forbids terrorist groups from taking part in the elections.
There is little that Israel can do to enforce the ban against Hamas in most areas of the Palestinian Authority, except for threatening, as it has done, not to help facilitate the election. In Jerusalem, however, the stakes are higher, as Israel does not want to allow Hamas a foothold its capital city.
On the other hand, PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) has threatened to call off the election if Jerusalem Arabs are not permitted to vote. Abu Mazen is not anxious to hold the election in the first place, based on public opinion polls showing that Hamas will do very well against him. Israel does not want to be blamed for the canceling of the elections.
Recommendations for a final decision are being formulated today, and will be submitted to Acting PM Olmert today or tomorrow.
Among those taking part in the consultations, which are being held in Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz's office, are top representatives of the IDF, Foreign Ministry, General Security Service, Public Security Ministry - and Dov Weisglass. Weisglass, who has discussed the issue with American officials, is actively associated with his law firm Weissglass-Almagor that until recently was the law firm of record representing the Jericho Casino and other Palestinian Authority interests, including a group of PA figures who wish to build a casino in southern Gaza. The new casino is to be owned, reported investigative journalist David Bedein, by those who own the Jericho Casino: the PA, an Austrian casino company, the Austrian Bank BAWAG and Martin Schlaff - all of them clients of Weissglass' office.
In the previous PA election, only some 1,000 Jerusalem Arabs voted in eastern Jerusalem post offices, while tens of thousands of others preferred to vote elsewhere or not at all.
Israel yesterday allowed some PA electioneering in Jerusalem, but said that Hamas and other terrorist groups would not be permitted to campaign. Fatah, however, will be allowed to campaign, even though it is armed and has perpetrated many terror attacks against Israel. This is because, as Public Security Minister Gideon Ezra's spokesman Yehuda Maman explained to IMRA, Fatah is not considered "radical."
Ezra himself later said that Fatah accepts the Road Map plan, which Hamas does not.
The decision to allow the campaigning was made in the Prime Minister's Bureau. That office confirmed today that it had received Arutz-7's queries of yesterday regarding the legality of such a decision, given the Oslo ban on PA political activity in Jerusalem, saying that it will contact Arutz-7 when a response is ready.
At a press conference in Gaza last night (Monday), Abu Mazen said that he had received "promises from the United States that the elections would be held in Jerusalem as they were in 1996... I am not ceding, and will not cede, Jerusalem and its residents' rights to take part in the election." He has reportedly threatened to call off elections altogether or, alternatively, to quit if Hamas wins the election.
Gaza commentators quoted on the Hebrew NFC news site said, "The anarchy in the areas is liable to lead to the collapse of Fatah." In light of this, a U.S. administration official who was asked about the promises Abu Mazen said he received from the U.S. about Jerusalem elections, told Ynet, "Abu Mazen should concentrate on making sure the elections are held altogether, and not just in Jerusalem."
A more official response came from U.S. State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack, who would not comment on whether assurances were given, saying only, "This is a matter for the Israelis and Palestinians to decide."