Foreign Minister Shimon Peres topped Premier Yitzhak Shamir as the popular choice for “Man of the Year” according to a poll conducted by the Pori Public Opinion Research Institute, published in Haaretz Tuesday.
Peres was selected by 18.4 percent of the 2,100 respondents compared to 5.3 percent for Shamir. According to Pori director Raphael Gill, the results are exceptional because the public usually chooses the Prime Minister. When Peres was Premier last year he was chosen by 32.2 percent of the respondents.
Most of the runners-up, however, were Likud politicians. Former Defense Minister Moshe Arens came in third with 3.9 percent, Finance Minister Moshe Nissim was supported by 3.5 percent, and President Chaim Herzog, who has no party affiliation, ran fifth with 2.6 percent.
Likud-Herut Minister of Commerce and Industry Ariel Sharon was sixth with 2.5 percent, followed by Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin with 2.3 percent. Former Premier Menachem Begin finished last with 1.8 percent.
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