A member of the Israeli parliament, who is a controversial candidate for the post of ambassador to Berlin, said Thursday he may stay withdraw to try to save the peace process with the Palestinians.
"Given the new political landscape, every vote counts in the Knesset and I do not want to abrogate my responsibility to the peace process and to the stability of the government," Yossi Katz said.
He said that as he favors the peace deal being worked on with the Palestinians, he would prefer to stay in parliament to vote in favor of it when the time comes, rather than give up his place to the next person on the parliamentary list, Moti Mishani, who is against making any concessions on Jerusalem.
Mishani is close to David Levy, who has just quit as foreign minister over the Jerusalem issue, saying such concessions are "very serious."
"If Prime Minister Ehud Barak signs a deal soon, he must not be without every single favorable vote in the chamber," said Katz, who was put forward for the post a few months ago by Barak and Levy.
His selection was criticized by civil service commissioner Shmuel Hollander and the government's legal adviser Elyakim Rubinstein, who felt he did not have the necessary qualities for the job.
His opponents appealed to the supreme court, which is due to make a decision in a few days.
Katz told AFP he had spoken to Barak and said he was prepared to withdraw. The two men are set to make a final decision next week, he added - OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP)
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