By
The Associated Press
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said yesterday that after a week of tough negotiations he was close to forming a parliamentary coalition that could prevent the collapse of his minority government.
Barak, whose ruling coalition crumbled this summer, is fighting for his political survival after a month of bloody clashes between Israelis and Palestinians that has derailed Mideast peacemaking.
Parliament reconvenes today following a three-month recess, and Barak was moving toward a deal with the opposition Likud party in a bid to stay in power and stave off early elections.
"We have to move forward together to lead the state through the emergency situation that has emerged, both toward security and peace," Barak said in an interview with Israel's army radio.
Barak said he was making progress in talks with Ariel Sharon, the hawkish leader of Likud, although final details were still under discussion.
Sharon, who opposes Barak's land-for-peace policies, has been seeking a veto over future peace moves by Barak, a demand Barak has rejected, according to Israeli media reports.
The two men were scheduled to meet yesterday as the clock wound down for Barak. As soon as parliament convenes, a no-confidence motion could bring down Barak's government.
Barak claims he can have both a unity government and pursue peace efforts at the same time. But Sharon has said that he could not belong to a coalition that pursues a fast-track peace agenda with the Palestinians.
Sharon's controversial visit to a Jerusalem shrine holy both to Muslims and Jews was followed by the worst violence since Israelis and Palestinians began regular peace talks in 1993.
The month of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians has left 133 dead and thousands wounded, the vast majority Palestinians.
Some of Barak's top ministers have voiced alarm that Sharon might have a place in the coalition. They argue that the hardline Sharon is reviled by the Palestinians as a man who has been at the center of Israeli-Palestinian confrontations for decades.
Palestinians have also said that Sharon would undermine attempts to revive the peace process.
Barak, however, insisted that only a government led by a cross-section of national parties could effectively face the current crisis.
"Today the main thing on the agenda is the emergency situation," Barak said. "We don't expect the Likud to give up its views and we of course cannot be expected to give up ours."
Despite the violence, behind the scenes contacts continue between the Israelis and Palestinians. However, Barak has formally put the peace process on hold, and says negotiations won't resume until calm has been restored.
The ultra-Orthodox Shas party, the third-largest party in the Knesset, was among the factions that bolted from Barak's coalition on the eve of peace negotiations in July. Shas believed Barak was going too far in offering concessions to the Palestinians.
Eli Ishai, the Shas chairman, said yesterday his party did not plan to return to Barak's coalition, but would not vote against the government if a no-confidence motion comes before parliament.
