ISRAEL: Israel's Labour votes to stay in government despite the enlistment of far right minister to coalition

Israel's Labour party voted on Sunday (October 29) to remain in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government despite his deal to include a far right-wing faction, ensuring he maintained a parliamentary majority. Israel's Labour central committee convened to cast a vote over support for the enlistment of a far right minister into Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's coalition. The vote by Labour, which holds 19 parliamentary seats and is Olmert's biggest coalition partner, to stay in the government even if the ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu joined comes amid criticism of the coalition of its handling of the Lebanon war. The head of the faction, Avigdor Lieberman, a Moldova-born Jewish settler, who was once a key aide to ex-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has stoked controversy by advocating annexation of several parts of the West Bank and transfer of several Arab towns in Israel to a future Palestinian state. Some said Labour would eventually assent to Lieberman joining the government rather than drop out of the coalition, a move that could hurt its popularity further. "I'm very worried to the future of the Labour party. I'm very worried because I think that this is a crisis that I don't see, I don't see, how we are going to recover from", Labour party member Danny Yatom said in reaction to the Labour party decision to stay in the government with Lieberman's addition. More optimistic opinions could also be heard regarding to Lieberman's addition to the government. "As long as Yvette Lieberman get into the government and accept, and live, within the main guidelines that (are) accepted by the whole government, I don't feel that there is any reason why the labour party should fail", Labour party member Benjamin Ben Eliezer told reporters after the vote was cast. In 2001, Labour served in a unity government led by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, which included Yisrael Beiteinu and other rightist parties. Labour later quit due to differences over his handling of the Palestinian conflict, prompting snap elections. Lieberman is expected to be named minister in charge of handling a crisis over Iran's development of a nuclear potential Israel fears could be used to make a bomb. Iran says its atomic work is for energy purposes only. But Israeli Arabs voiced anger and dissatisfaction over the addition of the leader of 'Yisrael Beitenu' and urged the international community to boycott the champion of West Bank settlements on territory occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. Polls conducted in recent weeks, amid growing criticism of the government's handling of Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon have showed Olmert's 29-member centrist Kadima party and Labour would fare poorly if elections were held now. Yisrael Beitenu's participation in the government would likely ensure Olmert's plan to dismantle dozens of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, while strengthening others, remained on the shelf. With the addition of Yisrael Beteinu, Olmert would control 78 seats in Israel's 120-member parliament, up from just 67 that currently support him, enhancing his prospects of passing a 2007 state budget on time.

ITN Source | October 30, 2006

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