Barak's foreign minister quits in new blow to Barak

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy has dismissed a last-minute request and announced his resignation from the government of Prime Minister Ehud Barak in protest over his negotiations at the U.S.-sponsored Camp David peace summit.

Levy said he was protesting Barak's use of secret channels to negotiate with the Palestinians, the prime minister's proposals to divide Jerusalem and the failure to establish a national unity government.

The 62-year-old foreign minister said for a while he worked well with Barak. Over the last few months, Levy said, Barak "chose to go down a path that I think opposes a working plan that we agreed upon."

Levy, a former leader of the opposition Likud party, said Barak had proposed at Camp David to concede on large parts of Jerusalem. He said Barak violated pledges relayed to Levy regarding the sovereignty of the city.

"We are talking about the heart of ancient Jerusalem," Levy said. "It is not possible to be in government and to explain things that you oppose."

Barak, who had urged Levy to delay any decision, expressed regret over the resignation. The prime minister, who once had a 23-member Cabinet, now has 11 colleagues in the Cabinet.

The prime minister said he will continue peace efforts with the Palestinians despite his minority coalition in parliament. "Nothing will divert us from bringing a different future for our children," Barak said.

It was not clear whether Barak would appoint a new foreign minister. Barak had used Internal Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami as his main envoy in secret talks with the Palestinians.

Less than an hour after Levy's news conference, he returned to his seat in the Knesset next to Barak Levy was said to have voted for a bill to hold early elections. The bill passed 61-51.