Lieberman to meet with Olmert Monday or Tuesday to determine whether Yisrael Beitenu remains in the coalition.
"If the prime minister launches talks on the core issues we will be out of this government by the end of the week", Tourism Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Yisrael Beiteinu) said last week.
Aharonovitch's comment was made in response to his party's leader, Minister for Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman, failure to make a similar proclamation in light of the agreement reached between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to begin discussions on the core issues, including Jerusalem's status. Lieberman announced earlier that he wuldn't resign during Bush's visit.
Aharonovitch claimed that a discussion of the core issues – which include Jerusalem's future status, Israel's permanent borders and allowing thousands of Arabs from abroad to move to Israelt – would lead to the withdrawal of Yisrael Beiteinu from the coalition.
Aharonovitch went on to say "We have made it clear to the prime minister that we believe some problems come before a discussion of the core issues.
"Aren't we being struck by terror from the north and south? Have the Palestinians met their commitment to fight terror? These issues should be dealt with before any discussion on the core of conflict.
"We are going out. If the prime minister wants to take us out of the coalition, this is his chance. The moment the talks on these issues begin, we are out."
