Israeli Science, Technology, Culture and Sports Minister Ophir
Pines-Paz announced his resignation on Monday, Israel's newspaper
Ha'aretz reported on its website.
His resignation came shortly after the cabinet approved the
entry of Avigdor Lieberman and its extreme-right party Yisrael
Beiteinu into the government.
Speaking at a press conference, Pines-Paz said that there had
been no other option left to him in the wake of the cabinet vote,
adding that he had fought as hard as he could against Lieberman's
inclusion in the government and had resigned for reasons of
conscience.
Pines-Paz, member of the left-wing Labor party, was the only
cabinet member to vote against the inclusion of the Yisrael
Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman.
Meanwhile, he also revealed at the conference that he will ran
for the leadership of the Labor party in next elections, adding
that Labor's leadership should be replaced.
The inclusion of Yisrael Beiteinu party would add 11 Knesset
(parliament) seats to the 67-seat coalition, ensuring enough
support for the government in important parliamentary votes,
including the 2007 budget.
The government would collapse if the budget failed to be passed
by March.
On Oct. 23, Olmert and Lieberman signed an agreement on the
party's joining the coalition, which was seen as Olmert's efforts
to bolster his shaky six-month-old government.
Shortly after the agreement was signed, five out of Labor
Party's 19 legislators submitted a letter calling on the left-wing
faction to oppose the addition of the extreme-right party.
Later, the central committee of the Labor Party voted on Sunday
night to remain in the government.
The newspaper also reported that Lieberman, who has long taken a
tough line toward the Palestinians as well as Israel's own Arab
minority, was appointed as deputy prime minister and strategic
threats minister in the Israeli cabinet.
(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2006)
