Russian claim causes worries

The Russians are coming to downtown Jerusalem, reclaiming ownership of a landmark with the approval of the Israeli government, just as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visits Moscow to try to iron out serious policy differences that have sprung up between the two countries.

After years of contacts, Olmert's Cabinet agreed on Sunday to hand over the small tract known as Sergei's Courtyard. The area, which once accommodated Russian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land, now houses offices of Israel's Agriculture Ministry and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel.

The property includes a lush garden and the massive buildings around it - a turret-like structure at the intersection of two downtown streets and the sand-colored fortress-like wings leading from it.