NETANYAHU GESTURES AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN JERUSALEM, 1998-01-04 (photo)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures at a news conference following the resignation of his foreign minister, David Levy January 4. Netanyahu expressed confidence his right-wing coalition would survive despite the departure of Levy and four members of the foreign minister's Gesher faction, a move which left the government in control of only 61 of parliament's 120 seats. Levy, a dove in a cabinet of hawks, said he was quitting over what he called the government's failure to help lower income Israelis and move the peace process with the Palestinians forward. ISRAEL LEVY