Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was hospitalized Sunday night after suffering a minor stroke, three weeks ahead of the March 28 general elections in which his newly formed Kadima party is poised to lead.

After undergoing additional tests and evaluations in a Jerusalem hospital on Monday his doctors said his condition improved quickly.

The 77-year-old was rushed to Hadassah Hospital, south of Jerusalem, after complaining of feeling unwell.

Shortly after Sharon was admitted to the hospital, his doctors said the prime minister was in a stable condition and was "fully conscious."

"Unequivocally, there was no permanent damage caused to him," his long-time personal physician Dr. Boleslav Goldman said, adding that Sharon's functioning was in no way damaged.

"He is talking to everyone now and asking about what's happening, what people are saying and how they are taking the news, " he added.

Despite the comforting words, some analysts said Sharon's illness could hamper his efforts to finish building his nascent centrist faction Kadima, which now enjoys a commanding lead in latest polls.

The health condition of the veteran politician will become a campaign issue as the March elections draw near, analysts said.

The voters, whom have been asked by Sharon to place their confidence on him, will undoubtedly become suspicious of his health condition, wondering whether Sharon will be able to maintain his abilities after his surprise hospitalization to defeat his younger opponents and continue his political path.

Despite the concern that rivals will use Sharon's advanced age against him, the prime minister's campaign team said they will make Sharon's experience an advantage rather than a weakness.

In his five years of serving as prime minister, Sharon has managed to distance the issue of his health from the public.

Whenever reporters raised the topic, he will mention his family 's strong genes and his aunt who reached a ripe old age.

In a bid to break the besiege of Likud rivals and their allies, Sharon quit the Likud he confounded three decades ago and set up the Kadima last month to continue his policy in peacemaking with the Palestinians following the successful Gaza pullout in September.

Sharon's bold decision marginalizes the right and expands the space occupied by the center, and was seen as a landmark of his transformation from a hard-liner to a moderate.

Ridding of the constraints of Likud, Sharon will be free to pursue a more moderate line he has espoused in recent years - part of a dramatic turnaround from a fervent supporter of Jewish settlements to the first Israeli leader to dismantle West Bank and Gaza settlements, analysts said.

Although accepting a two-state solution and sticking to the Quartet-sponsored road map peace plan, Sharon denies any plans of a second disengagement.

Instead, he opts for a "convergence plan" under which isolated West Bank settlements are dismantled and the main settlement blocs bolstered.

Some analysts believe the stroke will have little immediate effect on Israel's policy. However, in the long run, if Sharon quits his political career due to his illness, Kadima must suffer a catastrophe and may lose the elections, which in turn may lead to a adjustment of Israel's policy towards the Palestinians.

Source: Xinhua