ABSTRACT
Beginning on Friday December 15, 2000, the political story in Israel focused on the possibility that Shimon Peres would present his candidacy for prime minister. Encouraged by public opinion polls that showed a tie between him and Sharon, and a clear win for Sharon over Barak, Peres decided to run for prime minister, for the sixth time in his life. However he would need the signatures of ten Knesset members to submit his candidacy. He was unable to get the necessary signatures from his own Labor party faction and had to turn to Yossi Sarid and ask for the support of the Meretz faction. Barak and his advisers tried to convince people around Sarid not to support Peres’ candidacy. It was actually Yossi Beilin, a close confidant of Peres, who spoke against the candidacy, claiming that it would do harm to the peace camp. The deadline for submitting one’s candidacy for prime minister was midnight, December 21.
