By VOA News New Israeli public-opinion surveys show Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon's Likud Party recovering its lead over the opposition
Labor party ahead of the Jan. 28 elections. Surveys published Monday by
the dailies Yedioth Ahronoth and Ma'ariv show the scandal-plagued
Likud party winning
as many as 33 seats in the 120-member parliament,
while Labor slipped to 20 seats. Likud party support slipped last week
amid charges Sharon and his two sons accepted a $1.5 million loan from a
South African businessman to repay illegal campaign contributions.
Sharon has denied the charges. Israel is investigating and South
Africa's Justice Ministry announced Monday that it will launch its
own inquiry. Meanwhile, Israeli travel restrictions have stopped the
speaker of the Palestinian parliament, Ahmed Qureia, from traveling to a
session of lawmakers in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Since Sunday, at
least 11 Palestinians and two Israelis have been killed in a new surge
of clashes.