Israeli official heads to U.S.A to revive the peace process, Barak face problems

Israeli officials said that minister of general security Salom Bin Amir will head next week to the U.S.A to hold talks for reviving the peace process where the participation of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is expected in a trilateral summit with U.S President Bill Clinton and the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

Barak is facing a crisis inside his ruling coalition at the time in which he needs strong government support to push the peace process forward in its last and most difficult stage.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak stated yesterday his complete readiness to call for early general elections in case of the success of a draft resolution supported by parliamentary groups of the extreme rightist party Shas that would dissolve the Knesset.

After Shas' declaration of its upport to the resolution and before agreeing on the draft resolution in its first reading today, Barak said that Israel is about to take important decisions and that it is not right to get into unnecessary crisis inside the ruling coalition and that he will not submit to any threat - in reference to Shas.

Shas referred yesterday afternoon to the possibility of revising its position if Barak returns to negotiate with them concerning the crisis of managing funds from the budget for religious schools.