Olmert's Fire Sale Will Continue

Olmert salvages Israel coalition with deal

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert averted a split in Israel's restive coalition on Wednesday by striking a deal with his biggest partner, the Labour party, that stopped it backing a bill to dissolve parliament.

Labour's leader, Defence Minister Ehud Barak, agreed not to support the right-wing opposition's proposed legislation after Olmert pledged to hold an internal vote in his Kadima party that could remove him as its head by September 25, both sides said.

...Ratification of the bill would have undermined the government at a time when Olmert is trying to meet a U.S. deadline for a peace accord with the Palestinians, pursue Turkish-mediated talks with Syria, assemble a prisoner swap with Lebanese Hezbollah and monitor Iran's nuclear programme.

None of which Olmert has been particularly successful with so far--but he has bought himself some time:

Holding a Kadima election as late as September would effectively postpone a national ballot until 2009 at the earliest -- a reprieve for Olmert. The next election is currently scheduled for 2010.

"There will not be new (national) elections in 2008," Hanegbi said.

Now the question is whether Israel can survive in one piece till the next elections.

Check out Tel-Chai Nation about reaction to another flip-flop by Barak and Treppenwitz's list of best quotes from the Knesset session.

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