Jerusalem: The Israeli mayor of Jerusalem says his city cannot be divided, despite demands by Palestinians for sovereignty over part of the city as their capital.
Mayor Nir Barkat said on Wednesday Palestinians and Israelis are so intertwined that the city cannot be carved up between them.
Israel captured the east part of the city, along with the West Bank, in the 1967 Mideast war.
Since then Israel has built neighbourhoods for Jews in the eastern half where about 200,000 live now. They encircle the Palestinian neighbourhoods.
Barkat said dividing the city would be "totally dysfunctional."
Palestinians consider the Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem as illegal settlements. The international community has not recognized Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, May 05, 2011, 15:23