Israeli parties threaten to withdraw from ruling coalition before summit

Some Israeli parties in the ruling coalition had threatened to withdraw from the coalition before Camp David summit on Tuesday and Prime Minister Barak is struggling to keep the unity of his ruling coalition.

The Shas party, the quarrelsome partner in Barak's government, threatened to withdraw from the government and said it will carry out this threat unless Barak took strict stances toward the negotiating strategy before Camp David summit on Tuesday.

Also, the National Religious Party and Israeli Baaliya party which is composed mostly of Russian immigrants threatened to withdraw from the government by the end of the week.

If these three parties go ahead with their threats, Barak will go to Camp David without a real government and will be able to start immediately procedures either to form a national unity government that comprises the Likud party or a minority government, yet there is not enough time for this before the summit conference.

Barak is being pressured to submit to Shas' demands which were not specifically stated, yet it is possible that Shas wants Barak to not abandon the settlements and not deliver large land areas to the West Bank.