Top Laborite: Government won't survive West Bank pullout

[Englander]

By Yossi Verter, Haaretz Correspondent

The emerging government under Ehud Olmert, with Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu faction, "will crumble the moment the 'convergence plan' begins," a senior Labor official warned Wednesday, despite a recent prediction by party leader Amir Peretz that the coalition could last for four years.

According to the Labor official, however, the moment a large-scale evacuation from the West Bank begins, Lieberman will resign and drag the ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism in his wake.

The Labor official says that Olmert is making a mistake by wishing to include Yisrael Beiteinu in the government, as Lieberman is "an unstable partner who cannot be relied upon."

President Moshe Katsav is expected to summon Olmert on Thursday to ask him to form the next government, officially making the Kadima leader the prime minister-designate. Olmert and Peretz announced earlier this week that they have been holding secret talks on the coalition government, in which Labor will be a senior partner.

More at;
Haaretz