AN EMBATTLED Mr Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday staved off a vote of no confidence in his government, brought by the opposition Labour Party, when the motion was defeated by a vote of 55 to 50. But the success appeared to be only a temporary reprieve for the Israeli Prime Minister.
After furious behind-the-scenes negotiations over the past few days, Mr Netanyahu ensured his government's survival when he secured the support of a key coalition partner, the immigrant Yisrael Ba'Aliya Party, 24 hours before the vote, promising to meet its demands for funding for new immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
Despite the coalition wrangling, Mr Netanyahu's imminent demise had seemed unlikely. Under Israel's new election law, the Labour Party - which tabled the no-confidence motion over last week's resignation of the Finance Minister, Mr Dan Meridor, and charges of government ineptitude - would have had to garner an absolute majority of 61 lawmakers in Israel's 120-seat parliament in order to topple the Prime Minister and precipitate new elections.
But the fact that nine members of the ruling coalition failed to support the government is seen as a blow to Mr Netanyahu's prestige and has raised serious questions as to the life-expectancy of his crisis-ridden government.
The recent wave of political upheaval is due in part to a planned cabinet reshuffle, sparked by the resignation of Mr Meridor, a senior Likud member who left the Treasury last week, charging that Mr Netanyahu had cynically exploited a disagreement over currency liberalisation to force him out.
Joining Mr Meridor in his refusal to actively support the government was another senior Likud figure and former Science Minister, Mr Benjamin Begin. He resigned earlier this year over the government's decision to relinquish the majority of the West Bank City of Hebron to the Palestinians.
"The time has come," Mr Begin said yesterday, "for the Likud to signal to the Prime Minister that things cannot go on like this."
Shortly after Mr Meridor's resignation, the Communications Minister, Mr Limor Livnat, another prominent Likud figure, announced she was relinquishing her position as Cabinet liaison to parliament, complaining that Mr Netanyahu had failed to keep her informed of his policies.
On Sunday, the former Likud Prime Minister, Mr Yitzhak Shamir, snubbed Mr Netanyahu at a party ceremony.
There has been growing speculation that Mr Meridor may gather the anti-Netanyahu voices within the Likud and mount a leadership challenge.
Mr Meridor's resignation, one former Likud minister said yesterday, raised questions about the "moral basis of the government".
Even Mr Netanyahu's planned cabinet reshuffle ran into problems yesterday when the Infrastructures Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, whom the Prime Minister has earmarked for the Finance Ministry, reportedly made his acceptance conditional on added powers being afforded the Treasury.