OLMERT COALITION ON VERY SHAKY GROUND - MAJOR CRACK IN COALITION MAY APPEAR ON WEDNESDAY

HAARETZ:

Opposition chairman Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged Shas and Yisrael Beiteinu [TWO PARTIES IN THE OLMERT COALITION] to leave the government in wake of the first meeting between Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia over the core issues.

"Until now, Olmert made tactical concessions, but from today they are strategic and crucial to the future of Israel," said Netanyahu. "The first concession will be realized today, now that negotiations over a permanent settlement have begun, and the cessation of terror has been dropped as a preliminary requirement for entering negotiations.

We know that they will relinquish half of Jerusalem and that we will withdraw to the 1967 lines, leaving them indefensible. All of this places a heavy responsibility on Lieberman and Shas.

They are our friends, and they see the dangers as clearly as we do, and are aware of their implications. We expect them to draw the correct conclusions and stop this process now."

Lieberman on Monday called the beginning of the negotiations a "Casus Beli." He said that all of Olmert's recent moves and statements, including the ones over the evacuation of outposts and the release of Palestinian prisoners, "are not good as far as Yisrael Beiteinu is concerned."

... Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman is preparing to resign from the government, sources from his party said on Monday.

According to the sources, Lieberman, who also serves as Vice Premier and chair of Yisrael Beiteinu, will hold a press conference on Wednesday to announce his decision.

... Olmert's government would still command 67 of the Knesset's 120 seats even if Yisrael Beiteinu's 11 lawmakers were to leave. But the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which has 12 lawmakers, has also threatened to leave the coalition if Jerusalem comes up for discussion, something that would deprive Olmert of a parliamentary majority.

• THIS WOULD SPELL THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR THE DISASTROUS OLMERT REGIME.
• BIBI WOULD WIN THE NEXT ELECTION AND PROTECT ISRAEL FROM OLMERT, THE LEFT - AND BUSH'S DESIRE TO HAVE A LEGACY AT THE EXPENSE OF ISRAEL'S SECURITY AND SANCTITY.

I HOPE BOTH PARTIES LEAVE THE OLMERT REGIME ASAP.