Israel slams reported EU initiative on Jerusalem

Jerusalem - Israel on Tuesday slammed a reported Swedish initiative to have the European Union support the division of Jerusalem and have East Jerusalem the capital of a Palestinian state. According to the Ha'aretz daily, EU foreign ministers are expected to officially call next week for Jerusalem to be divided so as to serve as the capitals of both Israel and Palestine.

The daily said it had obtained a "draft document," authored by Sweden, the current holder of the rotating EU presidency, implying that the EU would recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood.

Reacting to the report, Israel Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor warned that "the Swedish initiative will not help promote the peace process."

"This kind of initiative will only contribute to marginalizing the European role in the peace process," he warned.

"The EU should convince the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible," he said.

Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war and incorporated it into the city's municipal boundaries shortly afterward.

In 1980, Israel formally annexed East Jerusalem, a move not recognized internationally.

Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a hoped-for independent state.