Possible candidates for Israeli prime minister

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel was on course on Wednesday for an early general election after Prime Minister Ehud Barak supported calls for an early election.

No one has formally declared his or her candidacy but here is a list of possible candidates:

EHUD BARAK - The prime minister won power in May 1999 in a landslide victory that brought down his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu. The 58-year-old former armed forces chief of staff has been criticized for failing to quash a two-month-old Palestinian uprising. Barak lost his parliamentary majority on the eve of Camp David peace talks in July, when three right-wing parties left his coalition for fear he would make far-reaching concessions to the Palestinians. On Tuesday, aware parliament was about to give initial approval to a bill on dissolving parliament and calling an early poll, Barak told the chamber he was ready for a general election. He says he has not given up hope of reaching a peace deal with the Palestinians, which many analysts say he needs to win re-election.

ARIEL SHARON - Chairman of the right-wing Likud party, the former general has also been foreign and defense minister. Now 72, he is remembered by Israelis for his ruthless military battles and leading the invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Sharon was forced to resign his ministerial post in 1983 after an Israeli inquiry found him "indirectly responsible" for the massacres of Palestinian refugees in the Sabra and Shatila camps in Lebanon by Lebanese Christians. Many Arabs mistrust him and this could have an impact on peacemaking if he were elected. Sharon has accused Barak of being too soft in his response to the latest Palestinian uprising. He has said unofficially he plans to challenge Barak in the election.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU - The 50-year-old former prime minister, "Bibi" Netanyahu was ousted by Barak in 1999 by a 56-44 percent margin. On the eve of his defeat, Netanyahu declared a time-out from politics and took to the lecture circuit. Israel's attorney-general cleared him of corruption charges in September, paving the way for Netanyahu's political comeback. Recent polls show Netanyahu would beat both Barak and Sharon in an election. He ousted Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres in the 1996 election on a platform that promised Israelis "peace with security." Shortly after being elected, Netanyahu handed over most of the West Bank town of Hebron to Palestinian rule and later signed two interim accords with the Palestinians.

SHIMON PERES - The former prime minister shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin for forging the first Israeli-Palestinian peace accord in 1993. Now an elder statesman at 77, he forged a recent understanding with Arafat to end the latest wave of violence. The deal failed to take root but Peres' re-emergence has stoked speculation he might challenge Barak for the Labor Party candidacy. Peres has never won a general election and lost five attempts between 1977 and 1996. In July, he lost a vote in parliament to become Israel's president, a largely ceremonial post.

AVRAHAM BURG - The 45-year-old parliamentary speaker became known as a leader of the anti-Lebanon war movement in the early 1980s. A Labor member, Burg has risen through the party ranks and emerged as a rival to Barak. Israeli media speculated on Wednesday that he would challenge Barak for the party leadership and make a bid for prime minister.

SILVAN SHALOM - The Tunisian-born Likud member sponsored legislation that prompted Barak to announce his decision on Tuesday to support calls for an election. Married into a prominent publishing family, the father of five has been a member of Israel's parliament since 1992. Some newspapers have suggested the former journalist might seek the Likud party candidacy.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

See related sites about Middle East

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.