TOKYO - The West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim is a Jerusalem neighborhood located a 5-minute drive from downtown, Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday during his visit to Japan.
In recent days, Israel has been trying to downplay the significance of disagreements between Jerusalem and Washington over West Bank construction plans. According to Olmert, there is no difference between Maaleh Adumim and the capital.
During a Tokyo press conference, the deputy prime minister said the controversy surrounding the question was “out of context, unnecessary, and totally irrelevant,” and added “we never said we would pull back to the ’67 lines.”
‘East Jerusalem a sensitive matter’
Olmert also noted U.S. President George Bush and Prime Minister Sharon agreed “that some of the centers created after ’67 will remain in Israeli control.”
Olmert also added Maaleh Adumim is not related to the upcoming Gaza pullout, and noted there is no “trade-off” between Gaza and the West Bank.
“We’ll discuss the West Bank in the future,” he said.
Regarding the question of east Jerusalem, the deputy prime minister said the matter is a sensitive one, and added it would be addressed in the future as well.
Meanwhile, Olmert said Israel would be willing to share technology and knowledge with the Palestinians, and added Japan could also make a contribution on this front.