His coalition in tatters, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak faced three no-confidence votes Monday before his departure for a fateful summit with the Palestinians at Camp David, reported The Associated Press.
Barak, who was to have left for the United States Monday morning, postponed his departure until after the vote, said the agency.
The opposition Likud party was in high spirits after three right wing parties quit the ruling coalition because they opposed territorial concessions, which they feared Barak would make to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at the negotiations to be brokered by President Clinton.
The ultra-Orthodox Shas party and the Russian immigrants party Yisrael B'Aliya quit the coalition Sunday. The head of the National Religious Party, Housing Minister Yitzhak Levy, said he would submit his resignation Monday morning, the AP said.
Likud Chairman Ariel Sharon said "Barak does not have the support of the nation and urged him not to go to Camp David."
Likud leaders called on Foreign Minister David Levy, who is boycotting the summit, to "return home" to the Likud. Levy defected during the term of Likud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Levy refused to go to the summit, saying it had no chance of success because the Palestinians have shown no flexibility during recent months of negotiations.
Barak said his mandate is from the nation, not from parliament, because he was elected directly by an unprecedented majority. He said he would leave no stone unturned in the search for peace and is confident such a treaty will be approved in a referendum by a large majority.
In spite of the increased strength of the opposition, political commentators did not believe it would succeed in mustering the 61 out of the 120 members of parliament needed to bring down the government, according to the agency.
The government will survive, but will emerge "battered and bruised, by the skin of its teeth," said an official - Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
