Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon survived three no-confidence motions today - one by a single vote - as the main opposition Labour party swung against him despite promising to back his Gaza pullout plan.
The weekly no-confidence votes have little chance of toppling Mr Sharon because his foes are short of the 61 vote absolute majority they would need. But losing one would be a major political embarrassment.
The parliament voted 55 to 54 to reject a no-confidence motion by the ultra-Orthodox Shas party over the non-payment of municipal workers. It rejected a Labour party motion to protest against economic policies by 54 to 52.
Mr Sharon's majority in the 120-member parliament was reduced to just one after this month he fired two far-right ministers to get his Gaza plan through the cabinet.
Labour had offered him a "parliamentary safety net" to support the Gaza plan and is widely expected to discuss joining a new national unity government, but introduced a no-confidence motion on Monday for the first time since the Gaza plan passed.
In a show of support for a pullback, Labour had withdrawn a previous motion.
Mr Sharon fired the two far-right ministers to secure the cabinet approval, whittling down his majority in the 120-member parliament to one seat and jeopardising the future participation of the pro-settler National Religious Party in the coalition.
Political analysts said Mr Sharon would likely seek to persuade Labour to join his right-wing Likud party in a broad coalition.