Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres has lost the leadership of the Israeli Labour Party.
In what has been described as an unexpected victory, a 53-year-old Moroccan-born trade union chief, largely unknown on the international stage, has ousted the 82-year-old Nobel laureate.
The party declared Amir Peretz the winner of the rank-and-file ballot.
Mr Peretz has vowed to end the alliance with the right wing Likud party, which keeps Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in power.
