Fresh criticism of Israel unity plan

JERUSALEM -- Plans for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to join a unity government under the country's new leader received fresh opposition Sunday from Barak's Labor Party.

Justice Minister Yossi Beilin said the proposed unity government under Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon would be a "forgery" which Labor should not become involved in.

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MESSAGE BOARD Mideast peace

He was speaking as a third Palestinian died of wounds sustained during Friday's exchanges between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank city of Hebron.

The latest death came as Israel's highest court upheld a decision to free a Jewish settler who had served eight years of a life sentence for killing a Palestinian.

Israel meanwhile said it was taking seriously threats by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to retaliate for a U.S.-British air strike.

Beilin told Israel's Army Radio: "A national unity government is in the eyes of many of us a forgery as it cannot advance the diplomatic process, and the Labor Party must not join."

Sharon, the 72-year-old former general, beat Barak, 59, in a February 6 election but won his support last week for a coalition to address continuing violence in the region.

But Beilin, echoing the sentiments of other Labor politicians and Israeli newspaper commentators, urged Barak to stick to his promise to take a "time-out" from politics after his election defeat.

Last week, Barak tentatively agreed to join a government as defense minister with veteran Labor politician and Nobel peace prize winner Shimon Peres, 77, as likely foreign minister.

"Seventy percent of our voters ask that we establish a national unity government. It's the logical result of the voters' verdict," Barak said in defence of his stance in remarks broadcast Sunday.

The Labor Party must accept the plan before Sharon can fill out his cabinet posts and present a coalition to parliament.

"There are two questions on which we must decide. One of them is whether we have anything to do in a unity government. A second question is if so, who will represent us," Deputy Defence Minister Ephraim Sneh, of Labor, told Army Radio on Sunday.

He said Labor's 1,700-member central committee would meet Tuesday, but the party's secretary-general Raanan Cohen said even that was uncertain until it was clear what would be the basic guidelines of the coalition with Sharon's Likud party.

Labor activists heckled Barak Friday for his acceptance of Sharon's offer.

Palestinians clashed with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Friday

Barak told them he had decided to stay in government because of the difficult security situation Israel faces.

Some activists shouted "Zigzag!" at Barak, referring to what they see as his frequent policy shifts during his 20-month stint as prime minister.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict's latest manifestation, which began on September 28, has cost more than 430 lives -- all but 70 of them Palestinians, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

Appeal rejected

The latest victim of violence, Ahmed Faraj Alla, 33, died Sunday from wounds he suffered in fighting on Friday near Jewish settlement enclaves inside Hebron. Two other Palestinians were buried there Saturday.

Israelis were due to bury Sunday an Israeli soldier killed by Lebanese guerrillas on Friday in a cross-border missile attack on an Israeli convoy. Sneh said Israel had no interest in reopening the Lebanon front.

Meanwhile, Israel's high court rejected Sunday an appeal by a human rights group to delay the release of Yoram Skolnick, 32..

Skolnick was sentenced to life in 1993 for shooting Musa Abu Sabha, a Palestinian who was apprehended after trying to stab a settler.

On air strikes by U.S. and UK warplanes against Iraqi targets, Barak spoke by telephone on Saturday to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Barak decided the situation did not warrant any special Israeli measures, his office said.

Sneh said: "First of all, one must relate seriously to Saddam Hussein because until now whatever he threatened he also tried to carry out.

"The danger is not an immediate danger. The danger is in what he is building and preparing."

Reuters contributed to this report.

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