Ariel Sharon was forced on to the defensive yesterday after Binyamin Netanyahu accused him and his new party, Kadima, of planning to give up part of Jerusalem in a future peace deal with the Palestinians.
Mr Sharon denied a report in Newsweek which said he was willing to give 90% of the West Bank to the Palestinians and compromise on Jerusalem in return for peace. According to the article, Mr Sharon's opinion poll expert, Kalman Gayer, said the Israeli prime minister would "in theory" accept "a compromise on Jerusalem, in exchange for peace".
Mr Sharon rejected his aide's remarks as "senseless and absurd", adding: "The entire united Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel forever." However Jerusalem is already a divided city with two languages, two peoples and little mixing between them.
But Mr Netanyahu, prospective leader of the Likud party that Mr Sharon left, was quick to emphasise the ideological divisions in the new party. He said: "The cat is out of the bag. Sharon's aides are revealing what he is trying to hide but everyone already knows Sharon will divide Jerusalem and bring the Palestinians back to the 1967 borders."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1667709,00.html