Labor Party Candidate for Upcoming Israeli Elections Announced

In Israel, the Labor Party has chosen its new leader, a former army general who has called for an immediate resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians. Amram Mitzna, the new leader of the party and a popular mayor of the coastal city of Haifa, will compete against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of the Likud party in the upcoming elections in January. Mr. Mitzna defeated his centrist rival Haim Ramon and the current leader of the Labor Party and Minister of Defense, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, in this election. Public opinion polls indicate that in next year's general elections, the Likud party will gain twice the number of seats it currently holds in parliament. Mr. Mitzna stated that if he is elected Prime Minister, he will immediately begin negotiations with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat without any preconditions and will withdraw Israeli soldiers stationed in the Jewish settlements of Gaza. According to the counted votes, Mr. Mitzna, who has recently entered the political arena, secured 57% of the votes, while the current leader Benjamin Ben-Eliezer received only 35%. Haim Ramon, a member of parliament, came in third with 5% of the votes. Meanwhile, five Palestinians, including a teenager, were killed today due to fire from Israeli soldiers who attacked the city of Tulkarm.