JERUSALEM (May 17) - At the press conference he held in the Prime Minister's Office just after Center Party leader Yitzhak Mordechai announced he was quitting the premiership race yesterday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu tried to stress that Mordechai had joined the far left.

The fact he held a press conference in his own office, despite very clear Civil Service rules banning political activity there, indicated Netanyahu was under pressure.

"Itzik Mordechai, look the nation in the eyes," called Netanyahu. "After all your promises, today you join [Ehud] Barak, [Azmi] Bishara, Ahmed Tibi, Yossi Beilin, and Yossi Sarid. All those who followed you yesterday must ask one thing: Where's your credibility?" said Netanyahu.

He also presented former Likud people who he said had defected to the Center Party and returned.

Netanyahu used the occasion to renew his attack on the press, which he feels has played a role in creating his current problems.

Arab-oriented parties lambasted him over what they described as his racist remarks. Netanyahu's remarks are a form of wild, racist incitement by a person who has reached the end of his political road and who is directing his calls to the darkest elements, said Bishara.

Communications Minister Limor Livnat later denied that the resignations presented the worst possible scenario. "From our point of view it is definitely encouraging," she said. She recalled Bishara's recent well-published comments supporting Hizbullah as a movement of freedom fighters. "It is this Bishara who is now going with Ehud Barak and the public is not stupid," she said. "And since Mordechai's resignation we have received a non-stop stream of telephone calls and people turning up who thought they would support Mordechai and realized that would be a mistake. Today, they are coming back to support Netanyahu and the Likud."

Livnat, who heads the party's media campaign, said the lack of any more party broadcasts is not an insurmountable loss.

"Today all the politicians speak in the media all the time. The party broadcasts are less important. Anyway [the resignations] speak for themselves. There has been an incredible resurgence. The junctions and streets are full [of activists] in a way which was not the case a few days ago.

David Rudge contributed to this report.