Olmert coalition ally threatens to bolt Israeli gov't

Sun Jan 6, 2008 3:29am EST

JERUSALEM Jan 6 (Reuters) - A coalition partner of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert renewed a threat on Sunday to pull out of the government if Israel begins final-status talks on the formation of a Palestinian state.

Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he would pull his right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party out of Olmert's coalition government if Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams begin talks on borders, and the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.

"Any start of negotiations on the core issues ... any attempt or removal of settlements or outposts, as far as we are concerned, will force us to quit immediately," Lieberman told Israel Radio.

Lieberman made a similar threat ahead of a conference in Annapolis, Maryland in which Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to launch final-status negotiations with the goal of reaching a statehood agreement before U.S. President George W. Bush leaves office in January 2009.

The renewed threat came ahead of Bush's visit this week to Israel and the occupied West Bank in which he will push both sides to meet their obligations under a long-stalled "road map" peace plan. The road map calls on Israel to halt settlement activity and the Palestinians to crack down on militants.

Lieberman said that he hoped talks on core issues would not get underway. "I hope that reason will prevail," he said. "We are not looking for a reason to quit. We want to be a part of the actions of the government."

The Yisrael Beitenu party has 11 members in Israel's parliament and is the fourth largest party in Olmert's coalition government. The five-party coalition control 78 seats in the 120-member parliament. (Writing by Ori Lewis; editing by Myra MacDonald)



Comments (0)
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.