Ayalon: Where J'lem is concerned, the US and Israel can agree to disagree

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Tuesday defended the Jerusalem Municipality's decision to expand the Beit Orot yeshiva, saying that while the announcement was likely to draw adverse reactions, the government would remain firm in its policy that building in Jerusalem is no different than building in Tel Aviv. Various Palestinian Authority leaders condemned the decision, which would see the construction of 4 Jewish buildings atop the Mount of Olives. Ayalon, however, staunchly defended it. "Where Jerusalem is concerned, we have a rock solid position which is common to many political parties and generations," The deputy foreign minister said in an interview with Army Radio. "Even if the US disagrees with us - we can agree to disagree." Ayalon stressed that although the expansion of Jewish Jerusalem was a controversial issue in peace talks, it was not impossible to overcome. "We hope that when we achieve peace with the Palestinians, these issues will be resolved in the process," he concluded.