Israel

Israel's Labour leader Barak snubs Likud coalition invitation

Article published on the 2009-03-09 Latest update 2009-03-09 15:52 TU

Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak at a cabinet meeting in Jersualem, March 8, 2009.
photo: Reuters/Dan Balilty

Ehud Barak, Israel's defence minister and leader of the Labour party, has ruled out joining a coalition led by Likud's Benjamin Netanyahu. He says his main reason is opposition importance given to the Yisrael Beitenu party in Israel's next government.

Yisrael Beitenu, a radical conservative party, is expected to hold several key portfolios in Netanyahu's government, including the justice ministry, as requested by the party's leader, Avigdor Lieberman, who could become foreign minister. Media reports say that the party will also have a say in appointing the heads of all law enforcement agencies.

Ehud Barak says there is no basis for dialogue on Labour joining a coalition due to what he calls the "sweeping adoption" of the demands of Lieberman.

After last month's elections - in which Labour ended up with its worst results in the 60-year history of the country - Barak had indicated that Labour would be an opposition party. Nonetheless, he has been talking with Netanyahu, and that has upset some of his party members.

Also in Israel, a human rights group has asked the high court to freeze all mining activity in the occupied West Bank.

Israel quarries gravel in the West Bank. Yesh Din says that of the twelve million tonnes per year which are extracted, nine million are transferred to Israel.

"The removal of natural resources from occupied territory for use by the occupier is tantamount to stealing public property," said Yesh Din.

The group, Yesh Din, says that in some cases this activity can be described as "pillage" under international law.