Violence boosts Sharon's election campaign

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's scandal-ridden campaign for re-election showed signs of recovery in opinion polls published yesterday following a weekend surge in Middle East violence.

Eight Palestinians, including four gunmen who infiltrated into Israel, and two Israelis were killed in new bloodshed which Israeli officials said was on the rise ahead of the Israeli election on January 28.

Surveys in Israeli daily newspapers Yedioth Ahronoth and Maariv showed Sharon's right-wing Likud party forecast to win up to 33 seats in the 120-member parliament.