Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak announced his intention to run in the coming March 23 elections, leading the Labor Party, according to close sources.
A recent survey conducted by Barak within the party showed that Labor would win six or seven seats if he assumed its presidency.
Sources indicated that Barak, who for two years has been leading a campaign to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he threatens “Israel's strategic interests,” believes the party, in particular, should remain on the political scene.
Barak noted that the Labor founded Zionism, established Israel and, therefore, it is not acceptable for it to fall.
Barak is the most prominent general in Israeli military history and has received the greatest number of medals for his service. His political career is not as illustrious where he served as prime minister from 1999 to 2001.
A recent poll conducted by Maariv showed that Likud, headed by Netanyahu, is improving in popularity after a noticeable drop. The survey showed that it rose four seats compared to the past weeks' numbers.
They also revealed a decline in popularity of Gideon Saar, head of the New Hope party, and Naftali Bennett, head of the New Right. The Joint List is expected to win 11 seats, knowing that it currently has 15.
The poll predicted the Likud would win 32 seats, compared to previous polls, if the Knesset elections were held now. They said that the launch of the coronavirus vaccination campaign earned Netanyahu a boost and he is projected to win two additional seats as a result. Israel had so far inoculated 2 million people with the vaccine.
Netanyahu also received two more seats from Arab voters after campaigning in Tira, Umm el-Fahm and Nazareth. The newspaper said the PM was encouraged with these results and he is expected to run a more focused campaign among Arabs.
Pollster Menachem Lazar noted that while about 30 percent of the voters in the previous elections decided not to vote due to disarray in the Joint List, recent statements by their leaders encouraged five percent of the abstainers to take part in the polls.
