2024 Israeli Labor Party leadership election
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Registered | 52,044 | ||||||||||||
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Turnout | 60.24% | ||||||||||||
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The 2024 Israeli Labor Party leadership election was held on 28 May 2024 to elect a successor to Merav Michaeli as leader of the Israeli Labor Party. Yair Golan won the election.
Background
Michaeli was first elected leader of the
Labor won four seats in the
On 7 December 2023, Michaeli announced her intentions to relinquish her position as party leader and retire from politics after the end of the 25th Knesset. As a result, the party prepared to hold a leadership election in April 2024.[6] The same day that Michaeli announced her plan to step down, Meretz chairman Tomer Reznik proposed that Labor hold its primaries jointly with Meretz.[7] On 25 February 2024, the party set 28 May as the date of the leadership election.[8] In early May, the party announced that its registered membership had grown with 13,500 new members in advance of the leadership vote.[9]
Candidates
- Yair Golan, former Member of the Knesset for Meretz and former deputy chief of the Israel Defense Forces.[10]
- Azi Nagar, social and political activist from Gilo, Jerusalem, and unsuccessful Knesset candidate for the party in the 2006 and 2009 Israeli legislative elections.[14]
- Avi Shaked, businessman and 2021 Israeli Labor Party leadership election candidate.[15]
Campaign
On 26 February 2024, Yair Golan announced his candidacy. Golan is the former deputy chief of the Israel Defense Forces and a former Knesset member. Golan had first been elected to the Knesset in the
Results
Ex-general and deputy minister Yair Golan won in a landslide, replacing outgoing Merav Michaeli as chairman and leader of the Israeli Labor Party.[18]
Candidate | Votes | % |
---|---|---|
Yair Golan | 29,832 | 95.15 |
Avi Shaked | 592 | 1.89 |
Itai Leshem | 551 | 1.76 |
Azi Nagar | 241 | 0.77 |
None of the above | 135 | 0.43 |
Total | 31,351 | 100.00 |
Registered voters/turnout | 52,044 | – |
Source: Labor Party |
Aftermath
The party would have needed to hold an election for its "party conference" within a month of the leadership election, according to a ruling made on 21 May 2024 by the Tel Aviv District Court. The ruling was appealed by Nir Rosen.[19] A day before the election, the District Court decision was reversed by the Supreme Court of Israel, who ruled that the results of the election will be final.[20][21]
Outgoing leader Merav Michaeli publicly congratulated Golan, writing, "Good luck to Yair and the party." Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party, also publicly congratulated Golan.[18]
References
- ^ "New leader seeks to save Israel's Labor party from extinction". France 24. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Federman, Josef (25 March 2021). "Final vote results show major setback for Israel's Netanyahu". Associated Press. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie (18 July 2022). "Michaeli clinches second elected term as Labor leader, a first in party's history". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie (7 December 2023). "Assailed for left's Knesset woes, Michaeli says she will step down as Labor chief". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Yerushalmi, Shalom (17 April 2023). "Labor MKs seek to replace leader Michaeli, claim party's future depends on it". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie (7 December 2023). "Labor's Michaeli to quit politics, party to hold leadership vote in April". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Marsden, Ariella (7 December 2023). "Labor leader to quit politics, calls for primaries". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ Sokol, Sam (25 February 2024). "Israel's Labor party sets election for May 28, months after current chair Michaeli's resignation". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ a b c Sokol, Sam (6 May 2024). "Labor party announces the final slate of leadership candidates". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Horovitz, Michael (27 February 2024). "Ex-deputy IDF chief Yair Golan enters Labor party leadership race". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
- ^ Itai Leshem runs for Havoda chair, in Labor's Bama Raayonit website.
- ^ Itai Leshem, on Twitter.
- ^ Itai Leshem: I have evidence proving Facebook colluded with Netanyahu to tilt Israeli elections., on Medium.
- ^ נגר, עזי. "עזי נגר מתמודד לראשות מפלגת העבודה בפריימריז 2024". הבמה הרעיונית של מפלגת העבודה (in Hebrew). Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ https://www.haaretz.co.il/news/politi/2024-04-24/ty-article/0000018f-0f45-d3e8-adaf-0f7f637b0000
- ^ Wootliff, Raoul; Magid, Jacob (26 March 2021). "Reform rabbi, Kahanist agitator, firebrand writer: The new Knesset's 16 rookies". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ Sokol, Sam (17 March 2024). "Labor MKs Lazimi, Kariv endorse Yair Golan for party leadership ahead of primaries". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ a b Sokol, Sam (28 May 2024). "Yair Golan wins landslide victory in Labor primary with promise to unite the left". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ Sokol, Sam (27 May 2024). "'A political corpse': Tuesday primary could mark revival of ailing Labor party". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "העליון קיבל את ערעור מפלגת העבודה: תוצאות הפריימריז יהיו סופיות". ynet (in Hebrew). 27 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "The Labor Party elections will take place as planned". Mivzak Live. 27 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.