Middle East

Two capitals proposed
THE LATIN Patriarch of Jerusalem has called for the partitioning of the Holy City into separate capitals for Israelis and the Palestinians.
The remarks of Bishop Michel Sabbah, the international president of Pax Christi, came in a pastoral letter as peace talks got under way to resolve a wave of savage violence in the Gaza strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem. He called for Palestinian autonomy and said that Palestinian Jerusalem should be the capital of Palestine, and West Jerusalem the capital of Israel.
He added: "We call upon our political leaders, Palestinians and Israelis, to continue their search for a just peace, and we call upon the international community to help both parties to reach what is just and right according to the international legitimacy."
Dr Ed Kessler, executive director of the Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations, said the comments were "extremely unhelpful".
Meanwhile, Vatican Citybased aid agency Caritas Internationalis has pledged to support the Palestinian people in the wake of unrest which has claimed over 90 lives.