The Israeli Prime Minister, Binyaman Netanyahu, has cancelled a trip he was to have made to Switzerland today at the start of a European tour, saying he needed more time to try to bolster his coalition government.

Mr Netanyahu -- facing pressure from the far right over yielding land to the Palestinians -- is reported to have had late-night talks with the former Foreign Minister, David Levy, to try to persuade him back into the government.

However, correspondents say another factor could be Swiss irritation at Mr Netanyahu: this follows his attendance at a ceremony honouring those who had campaigned for Swiss banks to pay out Jewish money held since the Nazi era.

Mr Netanyahu is now expected to fly directly to Britain later today.

He will then go on to Spain.