Defense Minister Amir Peretz prefers to start the leadership race for the Israeli Labor party to begin immediately. With this he gave his approval for primaries in May 2007, though he could be ousted in the process. The bylaws of the Labor party mandate a leadership primary within 14 months after its candidate for Prime Minister lost the general elections. “The party’s interests are less important now than those of the nation, but I have no problem with there being an election for the leadership of the party”, Peretz said.