PM seeks to curb Labor rebels from defecting

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Labor MK Daniel Ben Simon in the next few days to tell him that he will soon resume the peace talks.

The meeting is seen as a bid to stop Ben Simon from joining the four rebel MKs who want to split from Labor and form their own faction.

Netanyahu's aides scheduled the meeting following Ben Simon's statement on Sunday that unless the peace process is resumed within two months he will join the rebels.

The prime minister is reportedly as concerned over a possible split within Labor as the party's leader, Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The split would not only deplete coalition ranks, but might encourage Labor ministers Isaac Herzog and Avishay Braverman, who are also calling to resume the peace talks, to join the rebels as well.

A Likud minister who was sent to meet with Ben Simon yesterday told him that Netanyahu does not intend to continue the stalemate and that "things will happen soon." The minister and others with a similar message urged Ben Simon to not hasten to quit Labor.

Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), who is filling in for Barak in his absence, also met with Ben Simon yesterday and urged him not to quit.

Daniel Ben Simon said he felt encouraged by yesterday's developments and felt he had succeeded in pressuring Netanyahu and Barak to jump-start the peace process.

He intends to call on Barak to hold a primary for Labor's leadership ahead of schedule, in order "to calm things down within the party."

"The leadership issue is now becoming critical. Perhaps in view of the situation among the public and within the party, it should be made clear to Barak that his leadership cannot be based on the party codex alone," Ben Simon said.

He said he would meet with Barak to tell him "how bad things really are. Perhaps we must find a formula that would enable others to contend for party leadership. This could calm things down."