The future status of Jerusalem is not on the negotiation table between Israel and the Palestinians, local daily Ha'aretz quoted an Israeli official as saying Thursday.
Earlier Thursday, Jack Walles, head of the American consulate in Jerusalem, was quoted by a Palestinian newspaper as saying that Israel has agreed to discuss the question of the holy city in the peace talks with the Palestinian side.
Yet the Israeli source, who is close to the negotiations, denied Walles' claim, saying that there has been no discussion so far on this concern, according to the report.
The official was also quoted as saying that Israel was surprised by Walles' comments, which go against an understanding shared by the parties about disclosing details of the talks.
The U.S. State Department on Thursday also denied the claim in a statement, which said "a senior U.S. official who participated in the discussions denies that the Israeli side, led by chief negotiator Foreign Minister (Tzipi) Livni, has been willing to negotiate concerning Jerusalem."
The status of Jerusalem is one of the key issues in the historical conflict between the two neighbors. The Palestinians want east Jerusalem, a section of the holy city Israel captured in1967 and later annexed, to be the capital of their state.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has reportedly proposed to postpone the Jerusalem talks for a certain period of time, while Palestinian officials have repeatedly expressed opposition to any delay.
Source: Xinhua
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