Israeli Prime Minister-elect Mr Ariel Sharon's Likud Party has set a one-week deadline for the Labour Party to join a broad-based coalition seen as Israel's best bet for Middle East peacemaking.
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Mr Ariel Sharon
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Mr Ehud Olmert, a Likud member and Israeli mayor of Jerusalem, said today his party would give Labour a week to convene its central committee to decide whether it wanted to join a unity government and would approve outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Barak's participation in the joint coalition.
Political infighting has raged among Labour leaders since Mr Sharon crushed Mr Barak by an unprecedented landslide in a prime ministerial election on February 6th.
Labour is expected to convene its 1,700-member central committee early next week to take its decision. Mr Sharon must present a government before a late March deadline or face new elections.
Mr Barak had pledged to resign from parliament and as Labour chief but is now being charged with back-tracking by showing willingness to accept Mr Sharon's offer of the defence portfolio.
If Labour refuses to close ranks with Likud Mr Sharon would be forced to ally with ultra-nationalist and religious parties likely to obstruct peacemaking in order to survive in Israel's deeply fragmented parliament.
Israeli media reported Labour members were considering a compromise by which Mr Barak would fulfil his pledge to resign but also serve in Mr Sharon's government.