Clashes at West Bank village

Scuffles broke out between Israeli police and Palestinians

Palestinians attacked a convoy of cars carrying Israel's interior minister and the mayor of Jerusalem after they toured a village at the centre of a land dispute.

Stones hit the cars, but no-one was injured.

Mr Sharansky (left) and Mr Olmert with a map at Abu Dis

A small group of Palestinians had turned out to denounce the visit to Abu Dis by right-wing mayor Ehud Olmert and Interior Minister Nathan Sharansky.

The Palestinians began throwing stones and shouting "Jerusalem is ours!" as Mr Olmert and Mr Sharansky were heading back to Jerusalem in their cars.

There were scuffles between the Palestinians and Israeli police and soldiers who were out in force.

'Goodwill gesture'

The incident came as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak was lobbying support for the transfer of Abu Dis and two other villages on the outskirts of east Jerusalem to full Palestinian control as a "goodwill gesture" to advance peace talks.

But rightwing members of Mr Barak's government see this as the first step to handing over Jerusalem and the issue is threatening to split the government coalition.

Both Mr Olmert and Mr Sharansky are opposed to the transfer of the village, which straddles Jerusalem and the West Bank, to full Palestinian control. Israel currently remains in charge of security.

"If this is an advance, it's clear what the payment will be," Mr Sharansky said. "The payment will be Jerusalem itself."

Israel has suggested that Abu Dis, with a population of around 8,000 Palestinians, could be the headquarters of a Palestinian state in a bid to meet Palestinian demands that Jerusalem be its capital.

Mr Barak has said he will never relinquish east Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in 1967.