Israeli political showdown looms

　　A bid by israeli prime minister ehud barak to block the return of his political enemy appears to have faile d. Israel is now counting down to a showdown at the pol ls. Some of the worst fighting in weeks flared today as the israeli knesset approved the first round of a bill that would permit former israeli prime minster benjamin netanyahu to run in the election set for february. The bill passed 67-35 on first reading, but must go through several more voes before it could become law and allow netanyahu to challenge prime minister ehud barak.

　　Acting as if he had already dethroned party chief a riel sharon to run in the elections, a confident netany ahu told cheering likud members at a party meeting on T uesday:"I missed you". Trounced by barak in the 1999 vo te, the man right-wing israelis fondly call bibi nnounc ed his return to the political arena after barak resign ed, forcing special prime ministerial elections in 60 d ays.

　　But even if he upsets sharon in party primaries on dec.18, netanyahu will have to overcome a major tecnica l problem. Under israeli law, only members of parliamen t can stand for prime minister in the type of special e lection forced by barak's resignation. To challenge him , netanyahu needs the knesset either to pass a special enabling law or dissolve itself and call a parliamentar y election.

　　Netanyahu,51, who gave up his parliamentary seat an took a break from politics after his 1999 election defe at, has accused barak of bringing israel to the brink o f war. Opinion polls say netanyahu would easily beat ba rak at the ballots.

　　Barak quit under the shadown of the palestinian upr ising that underlined his failure to forge the peace wi th the palestinians he had promised voters. Kicking off his re-election campaign, barak said he would seek a fr esh mandate from the israeli people for his peacemaking aspirations with the palestinians. Barak will remain ca retaker prime minister until the election.

　　Sharon appealed to likud members to allow him to le ad likud in the election race, telling them he would tr y to form a unity government bringing in netanhayu-and barak-if he won.