Amir Peretz. Photo: Jonathan Klinger

Israeli Knesset member Amir Peretz will announce his candidacy for chairman of the Labor Party, Israel’s Channel 2 has reported.

This comes two months after Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced that he was leaving the party he headed since 2007, throwing the country’s political system into turmoil.

Perez had served as chairman of the Party from 2005 until 2007, after having defeated Shimon Peres. During that time he served as defense minister under Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, including during the Second Lebanon War in June of 2007. He resigned that post with the election of Ehud Barak as party chairman.

Asked for comment, his office replied: “Mr. Peretz has not yet decided the matter and continues to meet with activists across the country.”