Labor official: If Shas goes, we go

Party sources say Chairman Barak, Shas spiritual leader may have discussed joint move to push up next elections date
"Labor won't stay in a leftist government that relies on the support of the Arab parties," said the official behind closed doors following the threats voiced by Shas Chairman Eli Yishai, who warned his party would not stay in the government should negotiations with the Palestinian Authority include the so-called "core issues," such as Jerusalem's future.

While Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated this weekend that the question of Jerusalem's sovereignty would only be dealt with late in the talks, Shas is concerned that sensitive matters are still being discussed secretly.

Bibi: One more brick needed to topple government

Labor sources estimated that in their meeting on Friday, Barak and Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef discussed politics and not only the state and defense issues Barak's office indicated they were meeting on.

"It's likely they discussed the possibility of coordinating a date for the next general elections," said one source.

However, Labor officials also said that Shas' resignation would force Barak into a weighty dilemma: "On the one hand walking out and pushing up the elections would appear to be the obvious choice. But on the other hand, leaving would damage the negotiations and compromise security issues. Barak would again have to choose between politics and national interests."

Meanwhile the Opposition is hard at work to win over Shas and convince them to withdraw from the coalition, which, after the resignation of Yisrael Beiteinu, only has 67 MKs. Speaking at a Likud conference in Ariel on Sunday, Opposition Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu said that "only one more brick is needed to topple the wall, and that brick is Shas."

It was decided at the conference that Likud MKs and activists would concentrate their efforts on pressuring Shas, in the hopes of eventually bringing down the government.

Rav Ovadia for years has stressed the saving of Jewish lives, well the time has come for Shas to save Jewish lives by leaving the government which would leave the war in Gaza to a new Prime Minister who I pray will do a better job than Olmert.