Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak charged Thursday that the media and political rivals are trying to depose him. His verbal attacks came hours after a new poll shows that Labor's strength in the Knesset would drop from 19 to 12 or 13 mandates if general elections were held today.

Defending himself, he said that negative reports against him "happen to everyone who raises the banner of good government." The party chairman, who also is Defense Minister, charged the media with trying to paint him "with the same brush of corruption that has tainted so many other politicians."