CBNNews.com - TEL AVIV, Israel - Defense Minister and Labor party chairman Ehud Barak said in view of Labor's stunning defeat, they will likely sit in the opposition rather than join the coalition.

Labor dropped from 19 seats in the current Knesset, down three from the previous election, to 13 mandates in Tuesday's election.

"We will consider what is best for the party and far more important, what is best for the country," Barak said Tuesday night at Labor's Tel Aviv headquarters.

"We are not afraid to sit in the opposition and serve the people from there," he said.

Some of the Labor's senior members said the party needs to prepare for primary elections to replace Barak as party chairman.

Potential candidates for party head include Ofer Pines-Paz, Isaac Herzog, Amir Peretz and Avishai Braverman.

"Barak has some soul-searching to do, as do those who ran the election campaign," a senior Laborite told YNet news Wednesday evening.

"They pushed everyone aside, made all the decisions on their own, and they have to pay the price," he said.

Labor's constitution calls for party primaries within 14 months following a defeat in the general elections.

Source: YNet news