Jerusalem mayor Ehud Olmert has made a stinging attack on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak over his plan to share sovereignty with the Palestinians in the holy city, Israeli press reports said Monday.
In statements broadcast on various Israeli media outlets Sunday, Olmert accused Barak of "lying to the nation", "having capitulated," and "wanting to divide Jerusalem," in planning to give up the eastern part of the city conquered and annexed by Israel during the six-day war of June 1967.
"What Barak is doing is unconstitutional and not democratic," he said alluding to the fact that the prime minister has officially resigned and does not have a majority in parliament and that special elections for his position are planned for February 6.
Olmert, a stalwart of the rightwing Likud opposition, also claimed "Barak is living with stupid fantasies" and "that he will never be forgiven for writing one of the darkest chapters of Jewish history."
In particular, he attacked him for "being the first Jew to sell off cheaply Temple Mount to another people," referring to the Mosque compound area of Jerusalem, Islam's third holiest place built on what is believed to be the site of the ancient Jewish temple of Solomon, the most sacred site in Judaism.
Olmert's attack came after he learned of peace compromise proposals put together by outgoing US President Bill Clinton -- JERUSALEM (AFP)
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