Israel passes bill to remain control over Jerusalem

JERUSALEM - Israel passed a security bill Sunday to consolidate its control over the entire Jerusalem, making it more difficult for any Israeli leader to hand over Palestinians parts of Jerusalem during future peace negotiations.

The bill, proposed by the far-right Jewish Home leader Shuli Moalem-Refaeli, states that giving up Israeli sovereignty over any part of Jerusalem would require approval by 80 members of Knesset, which is three-fourths of the members of the Israeli parliament.

The ministerial committee for legislation has approved the bill.

Israel seized East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War, along with the rest of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

It later annexed East Jerusalem and declared it as part of its "eternal and indivisible capital," a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

The sovereignty over Jerusalem is one of the key issues obstructing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.