Defense Minister Amir Peretz, rejecting repeated calls from Labor Party colleagues to resign, declared Monday he would stay in his post, saying he was the object of an incitement campaign unprecendented in the annals of the nation.

Peretz, chairman of Labor, has been under fire from a number of quarters for his performance during the war in the north. Criticism has been especially stinging from within his own party.

"This hurts me very much. But therever I go, people come up to me and say, 'Don't crack,'" Peretz said.

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The way to deal with Israel's defense establishment and to bring a good defense establishment to Israel's citizens, is first of all to confront the failures and blunders that have been exposed, and to provide the correct answers, Peretz said.

"I am occupied with this day and night, and no one will deter me from this work.

"I see this as an important national mission. I have much more to do. If they would only let me work. All I am asking is a little quiet."

According to Peretz, the effort to remove him from the post is the result of "an incitement campaign the likes of which we have never had in the state of Israel, Peretz told Israel Radio. "It is an incitement campaign whose ties to reality do not exist at all."

"Why shouldn't we talk about substance? Why must we talk only about the desire of certain figures whose only interest is 'How to solve Israel's problems by harming the defense minister."