ELECTION fever has gripped Israel. Not Palestinian election fever, although the first democratic Palestinian elections throughout the West Bank and Gaza are only a fortnight away, but Israeli election fever - even though the scheduled date for Israel to go to the polls is more than 10 months away.
Israel's Labour government and Likud opposition are keeping an eye on the build up to the January 20th Palestinian polling. With Mr Yasser Arafat's personal presidential victory assured and a high probability that most of his candidates will fill the 88 seats on the Palestinian National Council, Israeli politicians are focusing most of their attentions on their own re election chances.
Labour Party leaders met last night, amid reports that half of Mr Shimon Peres's cabinet wants to cancel the official late October election date and instead hold the vote as soon as possible - to capitalise on lingering pro Labour sympathy in the wake of the Rabin assassination.
The early election advocates also note that polls show current Israeli public support for the peace process at a record 74 per cent - a reflection of the relatively smooth transfer of power to the Palestinians in West Bank cities over the past few weeks, and the respite in Islamic extremist violence.
In the personal popularity stakes, the polls put Mr Peres about 17 per cent ahead of the Likud leader, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu. Yet, curiously, Mr Peres claims to have no desire toe rush to elections, while Mr Netanyahu professes to be eager to bring polling day forward.
Mr Peres said yesterday that it would be wrong for the government to cut short its mandated term because of tactical "political, or party" calculations. Mr Netanyahu, by contrast, urged Mr Peres to put his peace policies - and especially his current efforts to reach a quick treaty with Syria - before the electorate.
The Prime Minister wants to give the continuing peace talks, with Syria at least a few months to bear fruit, in the hope that polling day can also serve as a referendum on the terms of a peace accord with Damascus.
Most Israeli analysts, therefore, are betting on an earlier than scheduled vote.