Aides say PM will hand in resignation to president in case Knesset
dissolution bill approved in Wednesday's vote. 'If motion passes and
ministers are fired, Israel will have a minority government that would not
be able to function and would be considered a joke,' associate says
Attila Somfalvi YNET Published: 06.24.08, 00:57 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3559473,00.html

Prime Minster Ehud Olmert is considering handing in his resignation to
President Shimon Peres in the coming days should the motion calling for the
Knesset's dissolution pass a preliminary vote on Wednesday, sources in the
PM's Office told Ynet Monday night.

According to the sources, Olmert has yet to consult with his advisors on the
issue, but his associates have already examined the possible outcomes of
such a move and are expected to present their position to the prime
minister.

"If the Knesset dissolution bill passes on Wednesday, the choice will be
between resigning or having to face the government's collapse following a
no-confidence vote," an Olmert aide said. "We'll have to seriously weigh
both options.

Another Olmert associate said that in case the Knesset dissolution motion
passes and the Shas ministers are fired, "Israel will have a minority
government that would not be able to function and would be considered a
joke".

In case Olmert resigns, an interim government would run the country until a
new one is established or until general elections are held.

However, Olmert has yet to give up on his efforts to block the dissolution
motion. Earlier in the day he met with Shas Chairman Eli Yishai to try and
persuade the religious party not to vote in favor of the Knesset dissolution
bill.

Olmert's office said that "the prime minister is opposed to providing child
welfare stipends based on professional research proving that increasing
payments maintain poverty and societal gaps. The incentives presented to
Shas can remove many people from poverty and Olmert will not increase the
child welfare payments."

As part of his efforts to appease Shas, Olmert offered Yishai a budget
increase of over NIS 1 billion for the low-income population but not through
child welfare payments. Yishai rejected the offer and discussions between
the sides are expected to continue until Wednesday's vote.

Sources close to Olmert do not exclude the possibility that the prime
minister's representatives will try to convince Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to accept
the additional payments. If Shas accepts the offer, it is unlikely that a
vote for a Knesset dissolution bill will occur on Wednesday.

This may also affect the Labor party's strategy, after its chairman, Ehud
Barak hinted at a Labor faction meeting at the Knesset that "if Shas changes
its mind, we will have to reassess are moves."

As of now, no faction is clear on how the situation will unfold on
Wednesday. MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) said that in his estimation the general
elections will take place this year and that the preliminary vote on the
Knesset dissolution bill will put this process in motion.