Barak: Labor will back dissolving Israel Knesset

JERUSALEM — Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Thursday that his Labor Party will support dissolving Israel's parliament if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert doesn't step aside over his latest corruption scandal.

Olmert's Kadima Party has agreed to start readying for a leadership primary, though no date has been set. But that apparently did not satisfy Barak, who has already threatened to topple Israel's coalition government if the prime minister doesn't step down.

Labor is Kadima's main coalition partner. Olmert's government needs Labor for a majority in parliament.

Barak did not mention Olmert by name in his statements Thursday, but said his first preference would be "governing stability" — meaning he'd like Kadima to replace the prime minister internally rather than go to elections.

If that doesn't happen, he said, Labor will back draft legislation to dissolve parliament that is to be submitted on June 25.

Olmert spokesman Mark Regev had no comment on Barak's remarks.

Police suspect Olmert illicitly took hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from a Jewish-American businessman. Olmert denies any wrongdoing and has promised to resign if indicted.

The police investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed.

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