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RELATED AUDIO: CNN's Jerold Kessel interviewed Labor Knesset Member Shlomo Ben Ami about Barak's new coalition government 2.7 MB/4:17 min. AIFF or WAV sound MESSAGE BOARD: Mideast peace

July 1, 1999
Web posted at: 5:25 a.m. EDT (0925 GMT)

In this story: Likud breaks off talks with Barak Key ministries not yet handed out RELATED STORIES, SITES

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak widened his coalition today as a moderate party agreed to join, ensuring his government broad support for reactivating the peace process.

After more than five weeks of coalition negotiations, Barak announced Wednesday that he had the numbers to form a government.

Sources from his One Israel bloc told Israeli media that Barak would present the coalition to the parliament on July 7, just two days before the legal deadline.

The leader of the Center party, former Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, said after a meeting overnight with other party members that it would be part of the new government.

"We decided unanimously to join the coalition," Mordechai told reporters.

The move brings the expected size of the coalition to 75 seats, a wide margin in the 120-member parliament, the Knesset. The government will be made up of a hodgepodge of six parties -- religious, secular, dovish, nationalist and centrist -- but all support Barak's pledge to advance the peace process on all tracks.

A seventh, religious party will support the government from the outside.

Likud breaks off talks with Barak

The Likud party of outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke off coalition talks with Barak on Monday over its demands that the government keep a hard-line stance in negotiations with Israel's Arab neighbors.

"The Likud wanted in to block (our peace moves)," Yossi Beilin, a likely Cabinet minister from the One Israel party, told Israel TV Wednesday after Barak's announcement. "Why would you invite someone in to do that?"

Barak has already exchanged messages with Syrian President Hafez Assad, and says he expects an agreement with Lebanon and Syria within a year.

The protracted coalition negotiations took more than five weeks, during which Netanyahu's caretaker government took measures that could hurt Barak's fledgling peace efforts.

Just days after the elections, Defense Minister Moshe Arens approved a plan to broaden the West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim, in effect connecting it to Jerusalem and blocking Palestinian hopes to connect a future state with east Jerusalem.

The move sparked angry reaction from Palestinians, who demanded Barak rescind the decision. Barak has not said publicly what he will do with the plan, but has said decisions of the outgoing government on settlements will be reviewed.

Tensions also flared in Lebanon. Netanyahu last week ordered the first strike in years against Lebanese infrastructure, bombing power substations and plunging the capital Beirut into darkness, in retaliation for rocket attacks on northern Israel by guerrillas operating from south Lebanon.

Key ministries not yet handed out

Barak received the overwhelming majority of votes in the May 17 elections. A fractious legislature composed of an unprecedented 15 parties was also elected on the same day.

The factions Barak will include in his government are his One Israel bloc, the religious Shas party, immigrants Israel B'Aliya party, the dovish Meretz party -- although it has yet to sign a coalition agreement -- the National Religious Party and the Center party.

A few other parties are slated to support Barak's peace moves from outside the government. Meretz is likely to sign its ten Knesset members in the coming days.

Barak has yet to delegate any diplomatic posts or key ministries like foreign or finance. He himself is expected to take the post of defense minister.

Copyright 1999   The Associated Press. All rights reserved.