JERUSALEM (AFP) - Former Shin Beth internal security service chief Ami Ayalon and Israeli ex-premier Ehud Barak are running neck and neck in ahead of the contest to lead Israel's Labour party, according to a compilation of recent polls published on Sunday by the tabloid Maariv.
The primary ballot for leadership of the centre-left party, whose current Defence Minister Amir Peretz is in third place, will be held on Monday.
The Maariv compilation gave Ayalon 32.3 percent support, Barak 30.2 percent and Peretz 14.7 percent.
A candidate must receive 40 percent of the votes during the primary ballot to avoid a run-off vote.
If a second round of voting is held, Ayalon would receive 47 percent of the votes against 36.4 percent for Barak, Maariv said.
The poll was a compilation of opinion surveys published over the past week in the top three Israeli newspapers and two television stations, Maariv said.