Knesset Member Ami Ayalon is leading former Prime Minister Ehud Barak by three percent in the Labor party leadership elections. With almost half of the votes counted, MK Ayalon has 36.4 percent.

If the trend does not change, the two candidates will face each other in a run-off in two weeks. Incumbent party leader Defense Minister Amir Peretz has received a little less than 20 percent of the vote.