The electoral campaign in Israel has started to heat up as it nears the final straight, with reports of scandals and smear attacks.
Most Israeli newspapers are giving front-page coverage to the corruption scandal involving former Likud deputy infrastructure minister Ms Naomi Blumenthal, predicting an ongoing police investigation would lead to her indictment.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sacked her this week in a bid to contain the damage caused to his campaign for re-election in the January 28th legislative elections by a cash-for-votes scandal inside his party.
Likud slipped in the latest popularity ratings but is on course to a comfortable win, probably taking some 31 seats out of parliament's 120.
Two new opinion polls published today focused on the latest controversy that has marred the election run-up, and revealed that most Israelis supported the election ban slapped on two Israeli Arab MPs by the central election commission.
Mr Ahmad Tibi as well as Mr Azmi Bishara and his Balad party were barred by the right-wing dominated body from running for office on the grounds that they supported "Palestinian terror".
The Supreme Court could reverse the decision when it examines the two candidates' appeals on February 7th, but Mr Tibi and Mr Bishara have charged that the decision was a serious breach of democratic rules.
AFP