In a major setback to beleaguered Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defence Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday threatened to topple the coalition government if the Israeli leader does not step down to face corruption charges.“Olmert cannot deal with the challenges Israel faces like Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran and the kidnapped soldiers, and run his personal affairs at the same time,” Barak, also the Chairman of the Labour party, told a press conference on Wednesday.“The Prime Minister must disengage himself from the day-to-day business of running the government. It does not matter which path he chooses suspension, a vacation, resignation, a leave of absence this is not for us to determine,” he said. Barak’s threat has increased the growing pressure on Olmert to resign in the wake of a US businessman’s court testimony that painted Olmert as a money-hungry politician with a love for luxury. It also cast doubt on Israel’s efforts to reach peace with Syria and the Palestinians.
