Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., December 01, 2007 Kislev 21, 5768 | | Israel Time: 15:43 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Defense Minister and Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak (AP) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 04:32 01/12/2007 Barak: I'll quit coalition once I know Labor will win elections By Haaretz Service Tags: Ehud Barak, Ophir Pines-Paz  Defense Minister and Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak on Friday told faction members that he would pull Labor out of the government coalition only once he was certain the party could secure victory in the next election. Barak said he would quit the government only "in the event I know the party will win [the election]," adding that leaving the government "just because of criticism from party members" would not be prudent. "There were instances in which the Labor Party left governments at the wrong time and did not gain a thing from it," Barak said. Advertisement The Labor chairman's comments came in response to recent talk about the possibility of quitting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government, of which it is the second largest part. During Barak's campaign for Labor Party chairman, he pledged to leave the coalition once the final Winograd commission report critiquing the government's execution of the Second Lebanon War is published. The report is expected to include scathing criticism of the government. This week, the High Court of Justice turned down appeals against the commission, paving the way for the report's publication possibly in the coming weeks. "If we leave the coalition, we will die in justice," Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said. Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon echoed Ben-Eliezer's sentiments, adding, "If we leave the government during the peace process, the public will not forgive us for it." Labor MK Ophir Pines-Paz replied that "nothing came [of the Annapolis conference], and there won't be peace in 2008." Barak acknowledged Pines-Paz prediction, but added that should Israel and the PA fail to hammer out a peace deal, "it won't be because of [Israel]. In Israel, there's a silent majority of 80 percent that wants peace. The problem is on the other side." Barak also commented on the internecine strife within the party, saying "it's good and it's necessary to have arguments in the party, but only on principle rather than political considerations. I'm the head of the peace camp and I'm also responsible for the security of the residents of Israel." Related articles: Barak poll shows most Laborites content to stay in coalition Barak: If elected Labor chair I will seek Olmert's resignation Bookmark to del.icio.us Killer Cruise Tom Cruise wins an award for portraying a would-be Hitler assassin in a recent film. Remember my name Millions of names, believed vanished, are being added to Holocaust museum records.   1.   SO BASICALLY BARAK IS A LIAR AND WILL STAY GLUED TO HIS CHAIR! 13:27  |  WARRIOR 30/11/07   2.   Silent Majority 13:41  |  Marc 30/11/07   3.   Has Barak already "infected" the whole labor party....??? 13:49  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/11/07   4.   opportunist! 13:53  |  Jon 30/11/07   5.   what`s the difference between a politician and a lady? 13:56  |  Jon 30/11/07   6.   response to WARRIOR 14:39  |  Keren 30/11/07   7.   Silent majority? 14:40  |  Fahmi Natour 30/11/07   8.   I`ll quit coalition once I know Labor will win elections 15:28  |  redmike 30/11/07   9.   you`ll lose anyways, quit now 15:31  |  Paul Freedman 30/11/07   10.   hes on a sure winner there ! labor has no chance 15:43  |  victor hardman 30/11/07   11.   I`ll quit coalition when the Moshiah comes 15:43  |  Nora 30/11/07   12.   NOW WE,VE ALL GOT A GOOD REASON TO VOTE LABOUT 16:48  |  T.Osser 30/11/07   13.   To #6 - I`m with Warrior! 17:12  |  D 30/11/07   14.   Why not when Olmert tries to give Jerusalem to the Arabs 17:25  |  Stan 30/11/07   15.   Silent majority refers to the dead 17:28  |  Stan 30/11/07   16.   Barak Lets bring it and have the elections already 17:33  |  Shepherd 30/11/07   17.   Barak Lets bring it and have the elections already 17:33  |  Shepherd 30/11/07   18.   TO SWEET KEREN: IF PERES DIDNT GO BEHIND RABINS BACK..... 17:36  |  WARRIOR 30/11/07   19.   Barak 18:12  |  Jack 30/11/07   20.   prop up the opomenet if you know you cant win alone 18:40  |  zionist forever 30/11/07   21.   No Dino, #3, those guys are NOT sane 19:03  |  Polybios 30/11/07   22.   ....win election 23:32  |  ljf-canada 30/11/07   23.   So he will never quit 00:35  |  Dave 01/12/07   24.   Polybios 02:10  |  akiva (zionist) 01/12/07   25.   Vintage Barak- Where Are The Principles? 02:34  |  Yoram 01/12/07   26.   Barak and coalition 03:05  |  Brod 01/12/07   27.   Barak - man of many principles 14:35  |  Ivan Israel 01/12/07

Today Online Abbas: Now is the moment of truth for Palestinian statehood Responses: 302 Washington: No place yet for Syria in the peace process Responses: 88 Editorial: If Israel wants to avoid its apartheid epithet, it must halt expansion Responses: 244 High Court orders state to delay power cuts to Gaza Responses: 68 Haaretz.com TV: Gazans using Viagra to alleviate distress Responses: 50 Esther Solomon: Falling for falsehood of Holocaust e-mail Responses: 23 Rosner's Domain Amazingly, the new Jews actually love their Shabbat services. All these smartest men (and Condi too) Poll: So, was the Annapolis meeting a success? "The world was shocked" (WTR) More Headlines 13:12 Syria: Annapolis summit a defeat for the Palestinians 15:25 Abbas: Summit follow-up talks to take place in Moscow and Paris 15:36 IAF strike kills 5 Hamas gunmen, wounds 8 in southern Gaza Strip 15:24 Left-wing activists protest long route to school for W. Bank kids 05:39 Millions of names thought vanished added to Holocaust museum records 12:15 U.S. withdraws UN Annapolis resolution after Israel objects 08:40 IDF soldier dies of injuries sustained while checking tank 10:42 Iran says will safeguard nuclear rights after latest talks with EU 03:03 High Court orders state to delay planned power cuts to Gaza 03:46 Prisons Service: No more space to absorb Sudanese refugees Previous Editions Select Day 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 23 nov 22 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov

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