JERUSALEM, Jan. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that Palestinians in East Jerusalem were permitted to vote in the Jan. 25 Palestinian legislative election.

    Olmert told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over phone that Hamas candidates will not be allowed to run for the election in East Jerusalem.

    He said that Israeli cabinet would vote Sunday to authorize the participation of Palestinians of East Jerusalem in the election. Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom expressed his opposition to the move, hours after Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Israel would let East Jerusalem Arabs vote.

    Mofaz said Israel would follow the policy of previous Palestinian elections, including last year's presidential vote, when it permitted a small number of East Jerusalem residents to vote in local post offices while most of voters had to cast their ballots in outlying suburbs in the West Bank. Enditem