Interior Minister Eli Yishai told Ynet that Shas would not resign from the government if an additional freeze on construction is imposed on West Bank settlements.

Earlier, at a Likud meeting ahead of the opening of the Knesset’s winter session, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a softening of Israel’s stance on the continuation of the settlement freeze in the West Bank.

“We must be realistic. We also have other interests. There are other channels no less important than the settlements to our interests,” Netanyahu said.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak opened the session for Labor by saying, “The referendum bill, as was passed today by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, questions the government’s willingness and ability to lead negotiations.”

“Israel’s government headed by Netanyahu is obliged to advance the peace process and must do everything in its power to remove the obstacles to peace placed by this unnecessary bill,” he said.

Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman said at his party’s meeting, “I do not retract the forecast I gave at the beginning of my term, which is that this is a sturdy coalition that will live out its days.”

But Opposition chairwoman Tzipi Livni, who spoke before the Kadima Party, was of a different opinion.

“Up until now Netanyahu has been juggling a lot of different things and keeping a lot of ministers handy at an expensive cost – to the public budget as well as the State of Israel and its most basic interests,” she said.

“We will do whatever is needed in order to make the public understand that there are other regime options.”

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(Read More: Ynet)