Ramon: Give Arabs their neighborhoods?

JERUSALEM, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Israel's vice premier said the nation should think about handing over Arab areas of Jerusalem to Palestinians to retain U.S. support.

Vice Premier Haim Ramon's remarks Sunday came in response to United States' criticism of plans to build 300 Israeli homes in Har Homa, a contested neighborhood in Jerusalem, Ynetnews reported.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier said the move jeopardized a recent peace deal.

'We must come today and say, friends, the Jewish neighborhoods,including Har Homa, will remain under Israeli sovereignty and the Arab neighborhoods will be the Palestinian capital, which they will call Jerusalem or whatever they want," Ramon told Israel Radio. ''Then we won't get embroiled, as is happening now, in an uncalled-for and badly timed debate with the United States, at a time when we need its support.''