Israel's new labour party leader Amir Peretz has threatened to bring down prime minister Ariel Sharon's government as the country's political crisis deepens.
Mr Peretz's call for Mr Sharon to meet him immediately to discuss a date for a new national ballot, or face a Labour move in the coming week to end their political alliance, was rejected out of hand by a top aide to the prime minister.
The political upheaval following Mr Peretz's surprise ousting of Shimon Peres in a Labour party leadership vote is likely to put any resumption of violence-stalled peacemaking with the Palestinians even more firmly on hold.
A senior State Department official said a "political bargaining period" in Israel could make it harder for the United States to push a peace agenda. "What we don't want here is to be kept in a holding pattern (because of domestic politics)," the official said.
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was scheduled to hold separate talks with Mr Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow on ways to build on the troop and settler pullout Israel completed in the Gaza Strip in September.
Before leaving Saudi Arabia, Ms Rice said resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a top priority and urged both sides to follow a US-sponsored peace "road map" for a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.
"We impress upon both parties to live up to their obligations (under the road map)," Ms Rice said.
Mr Peretz, in a television interview, said Labour "may act to topple the government on Wednesday" in the absence of a meeting with the prime minister before then.
The opposition National Religious Party is to present for preliminary approval in the Israeli legislature on Wednesday a bill calling for the dissolution of parliament. Labour's support is needed to send the bill to committee and then to the full plenum for passage in three separate votes that would set the ball rolling towards an election as early as February.
In any case, Mr Peretz has said he will propose to MrSharon an election in March or in May, advancing a vote not due until November 2006.