Olmert's Plan is Heartless

Ehud Olmert wants to avoid the issue of the Temple Mount but at the same time weasel out of exerting Israel sovereignty over the holy site.

But can he and will that attitude help?

this poll also found that 94 percent of Palestinians oppose any Israeli authority over the Temple Mount. In other words, they refuse to accept any Jewish rights in Judaism's holiest site - and if Jews have no rights there, then by implication, they have no rights anywhere in Israel. This denial of any Jewish right to this land is incompatible with acceptance of a Jewish state.

- writes Evelyn Gordon

And even an AP report notes:

The site represents the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.