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Barak Faces Tough Political Future
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is bracing for the possibility that a no-confidence vote in the Knesset (parliament) on Monday could topple his government as Foreign Minister David Levy threatened to quit.
Levy said Thursday that he will resign from the government over the "concessions" Barak offered to the Palestinians at the Camp David summit. If Levy quits, he might support a no-confidence motion tabled against Barak by the opposition Likud party.
Barak and Levy are to meet again on Sunday after the weekly cabinet meeting.
According to a Levy aide, Levy can be persuaded to remain in the government if Barak agrees to try to negotiate a joint coalition with the Likud, or if Barak pledges not to go beyond Levy's "red lines" in future negotiations with the Palestinians.
Though Levy has not publicly detailed the concessions that so angered him, he has made it clear that the Jerusalem issue troubles him the most.
Leaders of Barak's One Israel alliance believe that it is hard for Levy to quit right now, due to the fact that if he brings down the government by voting against Barak in the no-confidence motion, he will be barred by law from joining the Likud or any other political party ahead of the next elections.
And instead, Levy might have to run at the head of an independent party, which could signal the end of his political career.
Political observers here believe Monday's no-confidence vote is crucial for Barak. If Levy abstains or stays away from the vote, he will not hurt the government, because Barak will not be toppled unless 61 members, an absolute majority of the 120-member Knesset, support the motion.
But Barak's aides are worried that in the event that Shimon Peres is elected president on Monday ahead of the no-confidence voting, his Knesset seat will be given to Levy's ally in One Israel, Mordechai Mishani of Levy's Gesher (bridge) party, who could vote against the government.
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