The central committee of Israel's National Religious Party, which represents Jewish settlers, decided at a meeting here Sunday to withdraw from the government of Prime Minister Ehud Barak, its leader, Housing Minister Yitzhak Levy, announced.
The party called on the government not to take part in the summit with the Palestinians which is scheduled to start in Camp David near Washington under US auspices on Tuesday.
"Make peace at home before making it abroad," Levy challenged Barak, during a press conference here.
"You do not have a majority in the government, nor in parliament," he said. "You do not have a majority for this trip" to Camp David.
"Stop everything! Take your time! Admit that you cannot go because of the domestic situation. Let us first deal with the unity of the people, and then we will see if we need to go to a summit," he added.
Levy is the only NRP minister in the cabinet, but his party's decision brings to six the number of government ministers to quit Sunday in protest at the proposed summit -- TEL AVIV(AFP)
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