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JERUSALEM — Palestinian plans to conduct a census in eastern Jerusalem have prompted the Knesset to fast-track legislation aimed at stopping them.

Bowing to the Israeli government's wish to race through the legislation, a Knesset committee agreed Wednesday to waive the 24-hour interval required between the introduction of legislation and a first vote.

The Knesset plenum then passed by 35-22 the first of three votes, known as readings, to amend the law implementing Israel's 1995 Interim Agreement with the Palestinians.

With the opposition throwing its support behind the bill, it was expected to pass the second and third readings by yesterday.

Because of the vague wording of the Interim Agreement, the bill was needed in order to put teeth into Israeli demands that the census not be carried out in any portions of Jerusalem.

In recent weeks, Israeli officials warned against Palestinian plans to conduct the census in eastern Jerusalem.

Israel maintains that the Interim Agreement prevents the Palestinian Authority from conducting any activities in areas outside its control.

The Palestinians contend that the issue of Jerusalem will only be resolved in the final-status talks, and that they therefore have leeway to conduct some activities in mostly Arab eastern Jerusalem.

If passed, the law would empower Israeli police to take action against all Palestinian activities in Jerusalem.

"We are against any move by the Palestinian Authority that is undermining Israel's authority in its capital city," said Justice Minister Tzachi Hanegbi. "They don't have any authority to do anything in Jerusalem, and they'd better stop it."

The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday began its census, the first in the territories since 1967. Palestinian officials confirmed only that it would include all areas where Palestinians live.