JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak vowed Wednesday to form a more cohesive government and pursue peace after coalition partners joined with the opposition to give preliminary parliamentary approval for early elections.

"In a few days there will be a government either in a different composition or in a similar one, but it will act in a much more cohesive manner," Barak told Israel's Channel One television. "There won't be elections."He said ministers from three coalition parties effectively resigned by siding with the opposition in the 61-48 roll call vote that embarrassed Barak and cast a cloud over peacemaking with the Palestinians.

The preliminary decision to dissolve parliament did not herald an immediate end to Barak's 11-month-old tenure. The bill still needs to go to committee, where it could be buried for weeks or months, and pass two more readings before becoming law.

But political commentators called the vote the beginning of the end of Barak's administration and questioned whether he could rule effectively if his 68-52 majority in parliament shrank.

"It won't divert me from my main commitment, to bring security through peace agreements," Barak said.

The Jewish ultra-Orthodox Shas party, a member of Barak's One Israel-led coalition and a main powerbroker with 17 seats in the 120-member Knesset, voted with the opposition in its bid to oust the government in protest at the peace talks.

Two other coalition partners, the National Religious Party, with five legislators, and Yisrael B'Aliyah, with four, also supported the opposition move. All three rebellious coalition partners were members of the previous right-wing government.

Barak said it would be up to the cabinet, at its weekly meeting Sunday, to confirm the resignations of cabinet ministers from Shas, the NRP and Yisrael B'Aliyah. But he hinted there was still room for compromise.

"I'm not closing the door to Shas. It is open, not closed," Barak said in apparent reference to speculation he might resume talks with the party over its demands for millions of dollars in state funding to save its private school system from collapse.

It was the funding issue that largely prompted Shas's decision to back the opposition bill.

"Be patient, rest during the (weekend Jewish holiday of Shavuot), and after the cabinet meeting Sunday you will hear the government decision and a few days after that you will see what kind of government there will be," Barak told his interviewer.

"Barak does not have any legitimacy to go on with the negotiations with the Palestinians or the Syrians or to make any concessions since he lost a majority both in the public and in the Knesset," said Limor Livnat of the right-wing Likud party.

The opposition Shinui party, with an avowed policy of fighting ultra-Orthodox influence in Israel, said it would join Barak's coalition if the prime minister ejected Shas.

Shinui's six legislators in the government, plus backing from outside the coalition by parliament's 10 Arab members of parliament and several small factions, could give Barak a narrow majority in no-confidence ballots or votes on peace moves.

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But the shakier Barak's parliamentary power base, the harder it will be to win backing for what he has called painful territorial concessions as part of a final peace treaty Israel and the Palestinians hope to forge by mid-September.

The Knesset convened shortly at the end of two-day visit by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She held talks with Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat on attempts to reach a final peace by Sept. 13.

Negotiators from the two sides are due to meet in Washington next week for further talks.

Some Israeli political commentators speculated Barak would press on with a government of sorts during peace talks and, in the event of a deal, twin a referendum on a peace treaty with early elections.

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