A bill requiring a majority of 61 MKs to approve the transfer of any area of Jerusalem or any municipal powers to the Palestinian Authority is due for its first reading in the Knesset on Tuesday, reported Haaretz.
With the outcome of the Camp David talks, apparently hinging on the Jerusalem issue, the bill, authored by MK Yehoshua Matza (Likud) could spell trouble for Prime Minister Ehud Barak, said the paper.
Matza stated that the purpose of the legislation is to prevent the transfer of governmental or municipal powers to the Palestinians and to preserve the city's present boundaries.
According to Matza, the current wording of the basic law makes no reference to the city's boundaries.
The bill passed its preliminary reading two months ago by a vote of 68 to 21. Its supporters included Shas and several One Israel MKs, including Foreign Minister David Levy and Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Haim Ramon, the paper added.
The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved the first reading of the bill two weeks ago by a vote of 5 to 1.
Representatives of the Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, the National Religious Party and the National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu voted in favor, with the lone nay vote coming from committee chair MK Amnon Rubinstein (Meretz), according to the paper - Albawaba.com
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