Barak vacillating amid coalition talks

JERUSALEM -- Still trying to build a governing coalition, Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak has found himself shifting positions again and again over the past week.

"I tell everyone: The door is open. I want a broad government, perhaps with the Likud, perhaps with the Likud and Shas," Barak said. But demonstrating his ambivalence, Barak added, "I do not have a problem establishing a narrow government in a few days, and perhaps in the end this is what will happen."

His negotiating team has continued to court the Likud Party and, to a lesser degree, the fervently religious Shas Party.

Ariel Sharon, outgoing Israeli Foreign Minister and interim head of the Likud Party, set forth this week "minimal" demands that would have to be met by Barak if Likud is to join the governing coalition.

The demands include government approval for the construction of Jewish housing in eastern Jerusalem and a readiness to retain large portions of the West Bank to protect Israel's security, Sharon told a meeting of Likud leaders on Tuesday.

Barak's negotiating team has also moved from informal to formal coalition discussions with representatives from the far-left Meretz Party and the more hawkish National Religious Party.

Negotiators also met with members of the Center Party and the immigrants rights Yisrael Ba'Aliyah Party.

Barak has appeared to have made headway with Meretz and the National Religious Party on differences of opinion regarding Jewish settlements.

According to new guidelines that Barak drew up this week, he opposes the construction of new Jewish settlements in the West Bank, but would allow the natural growth of existing ones.

Representatives from Likud, the National Religious Party and Meretz gave their preliminary approval to the guidelines during coalition negotiations with Barak.

Representatives from Likud have appeared interested in further talks, but took pains not to appear too eager.

Outgoing Communications Minister Limor Livnat said her party can't expect the new government to have the same policy as that of the Netanyahu administration, "but we were impressed with their desire to prevent the situation" that occurred when Labor gained power in 1992 and Jewish settlements in the West Bank were "dried out."

"But it is clear that the gaps are not simple, and it is possible we will not find a way to bridge them," Livnat added Monday after talks with Barak's coalition negotiating team.

Meanwhile, Barak issued a statement Monday reiterating that he is interested in seeing the fervently religious Shas Party within his government.

Commentators suggested the overture might have been intended as a signal to Likud not to try to use Barak's distancing from Shas to raise the negotiating stakes. They also suggested it could reflect a realization by the Labor leader of having gone too far in freezing out Shas.

One development that could have precipitated the statement was the unusual meeting this week at the presidential residence between President Ezer Weizman and Shas' spiritual mentor, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Political observers said the gesture by Yosef, who is usually on the receiving end of visits, could indicate a willingness by Shas to meet Barak's terms.