'Israel faces short-term uncertainty'

British foreign secy told BBC, "Of course Ariel Sharon was perhaps the most dominant single figure in the whole of Middle East politics."

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Saturday that Israel faced a period of great uncertainty as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fought for his life after a brain haemorrhage.

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Speaking from Iraq, where he is on a visit, Straw told BBC radio, "Of course Ariel Sharon was perhaps the most dominant single figure in the whole of Middle East politics and therefore he leaves a hole for everybody."

"There's a great uncertainty in the short term," Straw said. But "even if Ariel Sharon had been well" there would have been little movement on the political level "until the end of March and the formation of a new government".

A general election is due to be held in Israel on March 28 and Sharon and his new party Kadima had appeared assured of victory.