Isaac Herzog defeated in reelection bid to lead Labor Party
Published July 5, 2017
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s opposition leader Isaac Herzog was defeated in his bid for reelection as head of the Labor Party.
The left-wing party will hold a runoff next week for the top two candidates: former Labor Party head and former Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who garnered the highest total with 33 percent of the vote; and Avi Gabbai, with 27 percent of the vote, who switched to the Labor party several months ago from the center-right Kulanu Party.
Herzog, who came in third with 16 percent of the vote, served as head of the Labor Party for one four-year term.
A candidate must receive 40 percent of the votes cast to become head of the party. Voter turnout among registered Labor Party members was 59 percent.
Labor currently serves in Knesset, the Israeli parliament, as part of the Zionist Union, in partnership with the small Hatnua party of former foreign minister Tzipi Livni. The Zionist Union currently holds 24 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
