Barak's election gamble

Support for Mr Barak has been ebbing away

Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon are now the only contenders in Israel's prime ministerial election on 6 February.

Mr Barak called the early election at the beginning of December, telling Israelis that he was seeking a renewed mandate for peace. He has said the choice is between "Barak or war".

Unrest has undermined Barak's support

Mr Barak came to power in mid-1999, promising to forge a lasting peace with the Palestinians.

But escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians during the last three months has made many Israelis demand a harder line.

Mr Sharon has pledged tougher negotiations with the Palestinians, and has been very critical of any moves to make concessions.

He has also said he will not recognise any peace deal that Mr Barak makes with the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.

However, he says said that if elected he would continue to seek a long-term peace deal.

Other contenders eliminated

Mr Sharon is currently leading in opinion polls, after former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu withdrew his candidacy.

Binyamin Netanyahu was leading opinion polls

Although polls suggested that Mr Netanyahu was the clear front-runner, he pulled out of the race because the parliament - which is sharply divided - rejected his call to dissolve itself, allowing early general elections.

The former Labour leader Shimon Peres also tried to enter the race as an independent candidate, but failed to win over the support of the left-wing Meretz party.

Mr Peres, who has previously been prime minister twice but never won a national election, said he believed Mr Barak had only a slim chance of beating Mr Sharon.

Many commentators say that Mr Barak's hopes of winning the election now rest on whether or not he will be able to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians.

Barak's struggle for peace

Mr Barak's term in office has been mixed. Despite ending Israel's 22-year occupation of south Lebanon, three months of bloody conflict with the Palestinians has undermined his pledge to bring about peace.

Mr Barak's hopes of improving relations with Syria have also been dashed.

And his left-of-centre coalition government lost its majority in parliament earlier this year.

He wants to go to the people and renew his mandate, and with a new mandate continue his drive for peace

Barak spokesman Avi Pazner

Mr Barak's spokesman, Avi Pazner, says it means there are pressing reasons for a fresh term in office - which cannot wait until parliamentary elections in five or six months' time.

"I think that in the present situation of turmoil and violence, the country cannot afford to wait that long," said Mr Pazner.

But his domestic opponents said the timing of the election was designed to prevent a leadership challenge from within his own Labour Party, and also from Mr Netanyahu.