Olmert's support crumbles away

Israel's embattled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is fighting for his political life.

If he was to have any chance of surviving the unexpectedly scathing criticism levelled by the Winograd commission of his handling of last summer's Lebanon conflict then he needed his allies in his own Kadima party to rally around him.

This has not happened. Key figures have called for him to go.

And now Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has added her voice to the demands that he resign.

Ms Livni's decision probably knocks away the cornerstone of his hopes for political survival.

She is a close colleague and a key supporter of the founding of the breakaway Kadima party.

But as foreign minister she has often found herself marginalised.

Her ministry did, however, come in for some rare praise from the Winograd commission's report.

And in the way of politics, while she may have been a supporter of Mr Olmert, she was also always a potential rival.

Ms Livni is his most likely successor if he does choose to stand down.

Scathing

Few members of the governing coalition want to see an early general election.

Ms Livni's preference is to avoid a ballot and she would probably have a good chance of maintaining the existing coalition.

That is, of course, if Mr Olmert chooses to go.

His position is made even more difficult by persistent rumours that defence minister and Labour party leader Amir Peretz is considering his resignation.

He also came in for scathing criticism from the commission.

The controversial armed forces chief of staff at the time of the war, Dan Halutz has already gone.

Mr Peretz's departure would leave Mr Olmert perilously exposed.