Press critical on Sharon troubles

Leading Israeli commentators appear to be hardening their opinions over Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's fitness to lead the country in the wake of the Greek Island scandal.

And a top daily reports a secret plan for the opposition Labour Party to join the ruling coalition, incurring the wrath of one of its members of parliament.

"Labour-Likud deal secretly negotiated" is the headline of a story in the Jerusalem Post.

The daily says the two parties "have reportedly settled most terms, including the division of roles and portfolios - including foreign affairs for Shimon Peres - and the manner of withdrawal from the Gaza Strip".

"The stain of Labour's senior members has been revealed," Labour MP Amram Mitzna is quoted as saying.

A civilized country cannot be run by a leader living under the dark cloud of criminal investigations Commentator in Ha'aretz

"Manipulative negotiations are going on behind our backs on joining Sharon's government. Those that deny their intentions every day are doing all they can to crawl into Sharon's lap.

"The party institutions that will need to ratify such an agreement will not lend a hand to the Labour Party's renunciation of its ideological assets," Mr Mitzna adds.

'Dark cloud'

Meanwhile, the attacks on Mr Sharon continue unabated.

"A civilized country cannot be run by a leader living under the dark cloud of criminal investigations like bribery and breach of trust," argues commentator Yoel Marcus in Ha'aretz.

Writing in Ma'ariv, Ben Kaspit compares the support of the Likud ministers for the prime minister as "much like the backing of a football coach from management"

"In our league, such backing is a clear sign of impending dismissal."

In the absence of a real new leader, when there is no lighthouse to light the way in the darkness and the storm, even a waning candle is better than nothing MP Aryeh Eldad in Ma'ariv

However, Mr Kaspit believes "Sharon is aware of his situation, identifies the cracks, examines the breaches and is conducting a survival battle".

"Meanwhile he is gradually losing stability. His authority is melting way. But nothing ends until the fat lady sings. And in our case, this lady is called [Attorney General] Meni Mazuz."

Netanyahu vote

Yigal Sarneh, writing in Yediot Aharonot, laments: "There is an absence of a civilian ruler who thinks also about the world beyond the Greek island and the Likud convention".

But an MP from the right-wing National Union, part of the ruling coalition, argues that Mr Sharon is still in power because there is no obvious replacement.

"In the absence of a real new leader, when there is no lighthouse to light the way in the darkness and the storm, even a waning candle is better than nothing," MP Aryeh Eldad writes in Ma'ariv.

An opinion poll published by The Jerusalem Post asks who should replace the prime minister if he steps down.

An overwhelming 63% pick the former prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.