Labor Vote Too Close to Call; Legal Battle Looms

After the centrist Labor Party voted for a new leader, the result was too close to call and the two candidates appeared poised for a legal battle over accusations of fraud.

The candidates, dovish Israeli parliament Speaker Avraham Burg and hawkish Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, quickly hired lawyers when it was announced that the outcome was unclear.

Officials warned that a court case, as Ben-Eliezer has threatened, could damage the party and harm its chances of ousting hard-line Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in elections. Labor is part of Sharon’s coalition government.