Barak leads party leadership race

Former Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who announced his return to politics this week, enjoys a wide lead over the Labour Party’s current leader and would win the party’s leadership race if elections were held today, according to a poll published in an Israeli newspaper today.

The Maariv poll said Barak has the support of 30% of Labour members, compared with 12% for the current leader, Defence Minister Amir Peretz.

Barak’s closest challenger would be Ami Ayalon, a former director of the Shin Bet internal security agency, who got 23%.

Barak, one of Israel’s best-known politicians, announced Sunday that he would run for the top spot in Labour, six years after his term as prime minister crashed in discord and failed peace initiatives.

Labour primaries are set for May, and the winner of the race is likely to become defence minister.

Peretz, the current holder of the post, has been widely criticised for his handling of Israel’s inconclusive war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon last summer.

In security-conscious Israel, the defence ministry could serve as a springboard to becoming prime minister.

Labour is the second-largest party in parliament and serves as the junior coalition partner with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Kadima Party.

In the poll, 38% of respondents said Barak has the best chance of leading Labour to victory in the next election, compared with 23% for Ayalon and 12% for Peretz.

Also, 48% said Barak, a former military chief, is best-suited for the defence portfolio, compared with 29% for Ayalon, and just 5% for Peretz.

Israel’s next election is scheduled for 2010. But in Israel’s fragmented parliamentary system, coalition governments rarely last their full terms.