Annan meets Israeli leaders Wednesday as Barak government verges on collapse

June 21, 2000
Web posted at: 5:04 a.m. EDT (0904 GMT)

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Israel from Jordan on Wednesday for talks with Ehud Barak, just as the prime minister's government seemed to be unraveling.

Issues to be discussed with Barak and other leaders include the fate of Israeli soldiers missing in action and a village that was sliced in two by the new U.N.-drawn border between Israel and Lebanon, creating unhappiness for the villagers.

On Tuesday Annan visited Jordan to discuss the Middle East peace process. While there, he also praised Jordanian troops for their participation in a U.N. peacekeeping force in the war-torn west African country of Sierra Leone.

MESSAGE BOARDS Mideast peace

In Israel on Tuesday, four ministers from the ultra-orthodox Shas Party turned in their letters of resignation in a dispute over funding and control of the Shas religious school system. Barak is trying to convince them to stay in the government, saying 90 percent of the problems have been solved.

The Shas resignations are set to take effect Thursday afternoon. If they go through, Barak would lose his majority in parliament. That would make it more difficult for him to negotiate a final agreement with the Palestinians and get it approved by the Knesset.

Barak's options are diminishing alarmingly, reported CNN's Jerrold Kessel. The prime minister still has a chance to extricate himself from the crisis, "but it's a very tight game up until tomorrow afternoon," Kessel said.

With less than 48 hours before the resignations take effect, Barak said he had forwarded proposals on funding for the Shas Party's bankrupt school system and legalizing the party's pirate radio stations and was waiting for the Shas response.

"We want to see Shas within the government, but we will respect their decision, whatever it is," he said.

Barak and Shas have until 2:53 p.m. (1153 GMT) Thursday to come to an agreement or the four Shas ministers will be out of the government.

"Anything could happen. It's all on the table," said Infrastructures Minister Eli Suissa, a Shas member. "They know what we want."

Shas members also want what they say is greater respect for their party and more consultations with Barak on running the country.

Shas members have engaged in brinkmanship before, threatening Barak with pullouts on several occasions. Those threats have been settled in the past.

The crisis comes at a critical moment for Barak, whose peace negotiators are in Washington attempting to reach a deal with the Palestinians on the framework for a final status peace agreement.

The Meretz Party, another of Barak's coalition partners, offered to step aside, while still supporting the government, if it would help Barak reach a settlement with Shas.

A Meretz Party statement said Meretz members would stand aside so as "not to impose on the prime minister," but the party would "remain in the coalition" to ensure the support he needs on the peace process.

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