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Party: Likud (flexible Right).
Year of birth: 1949.
Place of birth: Tel Aviv.

Former career: Business. Ambassador to the UN.

Former political positions: Member of Knesset since 1988. Deputy foreign minister and deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Office in the government of Yitzhak Shamir (1988-92). Prime minister since 1996.

Education: BA in architecture and MA in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US).

Basic positions: Basically opposed to the Oslo Accords, but accepts them as fact. Favors progress in the peace process, but only through extremely tough bargaining. Laissez-faire economics. Populist on social issues.

Strengths: Brilliant orator. Extremely intelligent. Survivor. Popular with the masses. Burning ambition.

Weaknesses: Accused of not being a man of his word. Has managed to alienate the old Likud elites and several senior members of his government and party. Took several highly controversial political decisions as prime minister.

According to latest opinion polls:

Chances of reaching second round: certain.
Chances of winning in second round: 50:50.

This candidate's in-depth profile...
Interview...

Links in this section:

Ehud Barak      Fact File      In-depth Profile      Interview Ze'ev Binyamin Begin      Fact File      In-depth Profile      Interview Azmi Bishara      Fact File      In-depth Profile      Interview

Yitzhak Mordechai      Fact File      In-depth Profile      Interview Binyamin Netanyahu      Fact File      In-depth Profile      Interview