Sharon's coalition under strain

By BBC News Online's Kathryn Westcott

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is under enormous pressure from the opposite poles of his national unity government, which is looking increasingly fragile.

In the face of a new upsurge in the violence and mounting civilian casualties, the right camp wants to crush the Palestinians with greater intensity than has so far been deployed.

The left, however, argues that there can be no military solution to the current conflict.

	Cabinet ministers Labor: left of centre, six cabinet ministers Likud: eight ministers Shas: four ministers National Unity/Yisrael Beitenu: two ministers Centre party: two ministers Yisrael Ba'aliya: one minister

There have been a growing number of calls within Labor, the largest party in the Israeli Knesset (parliament) and a key coalition partner, to leave the government.

Due to the proportional representation system no party ever wins a majority in parliament, so the government is always a coalition of a number of parties.

Mr Sharon's ability to put together a coalition largely spanning the political spectrum just over a year ago was lauded at the time.

Labor's dilemma

But this style of government makes the prime minister's job particularly difficult as he must try to pacify all the members of his government.

Much of the stability of the government rests on the viability of an alliance between Labor and Mr Sharon's right-wing Likud.

	Full Knesset breakdown

At the time, Labor's decision to join its long-time enemy split the party. Some argued that the inclusion of the party in the government would mean paralysis on the peace front.

Others - including Labor veteran Shimon Peres who is still looking for a negotiated solution with the Palestinians - maintain the party provides a moderating force that could advance the political process.

But, this week, the liberal Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz described the partnership as "shameful" in an editorial headlined "the helpless government".

On the left, there is a growing sense that peace and security is only achievable through dialogue. Many also want an end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

As Ephraim Sneh, a former general and now Transport Minister put it, "in the end there has to be a diplomatic solution.

"Without one, this land will know another 100 years of war."

Right flank

The left's argument has been boosted by a growing group of reservist officers and soldiers who are refusing to serve in the West Bank and Gaza.

But correspondents say that the Labor Party Chairman and Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, headed off a vote on the issue of withdrawing from the government at a planned party meeting on Monday.

You have to fight the terror and, like Aids, you don't negotiate with it, you win it

Uzi Landau, minister of internal security

And some analysts say the prime minister would want to keep Labor in the government because it gives him a type of 'umbrella' both domestically and internationally.

At the same time, Mr Sharon is under acute pressure from members of the right flank, some of whom are demanding a re-occupation of Palestinian territories.

The ultra nationalist National Union Party, also part of the coalition, has even been reviving a campaign to deport, or "transfer" Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza to Arab countries.

The right wing is also demanding an all-out war on the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the dismantling of his Palestinian Authority.

Pulling out

Likud's Minister of Internal Security, Uzi Landau, has called for an tough approach. "You have to fight the terror and, like Aids, you don't negotiate with it, you win it," he said.

Binyamin Netanyahu is waiting in the wings

Some right-wing deputies have even talked about leaving the government if Mr Sharon refuses to carry out their demands.

An advisor to the prime minister Zalman Shoval is reported to have said Mr Sharon may find himself facing a "situation where he will have to make a decision, either to let the Labor party go or to let his own right wing coalition partners go."

The decision by one or more of the parties to quit the coalition would not necessarily bring down down the government, but could provide the momentum for parliament to call a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.

If the motion is passed by an absolute majority of 61 deputies or more, elections would be called.

Analysts say that if this were to happen in the near future, Labor would be unable to mount a credible challenge to Likud.

Labor leaders and Mr Sharon are keenly aware that waiting in the wings is the former Likud Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who favours a harder, more militaristic approach.

And hi popularity among Israelis is said to be increasing.

The prime minister's popularity, however, dropped for the first time to less than 50% in recent opinion polls. This is likely to add to Mr Sharon's appearance of vulnerability.

Full Knesset breakdown

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