The Labor Party convention decided today not to debate the issue of whether or not to quit the national unity government - but not without rancor. Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg, who is in favor of quitting the government, proposed a debate on the issue, and even gathered 450 signatures to this end, but party leader Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer objected. Session Chairman David Libai agreed with the latter, saying that the rules did not allow a change in the agenda. Burg accused Ben-Eliezer of \"shutting mouths,\" and Ben-Eliezer explained very emotionally, \"Now - when we are running from one suicide bomber to another, *now* is the time to quit the government?!\" Both Burg and Ben-Eliezer said that adopting the other\'s position was a sure way for the party to lose much of its public support in the next national election.



Foreign Minister Shimon Peres came out against Prime Minister Sharon by saying that Israel must \"enter into negotiations with the Palestinian Authority as if there were no war against terrorism, and fight terrorism as if there were no negotiations.\" He did not, however, call for the party to quit the government.