2022 Israeli Labor Party leadership election
← 2021 18 July 2022 2024 →
Turnout43%
 
Candidate Merav Michaeli Eran Hermoni
Popular vote 12,429 2,435
Percentage 82.48% 16.16%
Leader before election

Merav Michaeli

 Elected Leader

Merav Michaeli

The 2022 Israeli Labor Party leadership election was held on 18 July 2022[1] to elect the leader of the Israeli Labor Party in the lead-up to the 2022 Israeli legislative election. The election saw the incumbent party leader, Merav Michaeli, reelected with 82% of the vote, fending off a challenge by party secretary Eran Hermoni.[2] Michaeli's victory made her the first Labor Party leader to win consecutive leadership contests since leadership elections were first opened to the party's full membership in 1992.[3]

Background

Michaeli was first elected to the leadership of the Israeli Labor Party in 2021.[4] Following the dissolution of the Knesset on 30 June 2022,[5] the party scheduled elections for the leadership of the party and for its party list, to be held on 18 July and 9 August, respectively.[6][7]

Candidates

Campaign

Hermoni challenged Michaeli using the slogan "Labor in the center", calling for the creation of a broad coalition of the political left. He criticized Labor under Michaeli's vision as becoming a "niche" and "enclosed" party that "fights for crumbs of votes against Meretz." While Michaeli had ruled out a merger with Meretez for the 2022 election, it was seen as likely Hermoni would pursue such a merger.[8][9] Hermoni felt that the Labor Party had become too left-wing on issues of diplomacy and security.[9]

Michaeli touted her leadership of the party in the 2021 Knesset election, having seen the party rebound and finish above the electoral threshold under her leadership. She declared that she would rebuild the party, "to fulfill its unique mission as the ruling party of the center-left," and would push to have the party play, "a leading role in Israeli politics." Ahead of the vote, Michaeli was largely expected to win reelection.[9]

Result

Michaeli won a strong victory, becoming the first Labor Party leader to win consecutive leadership contests since party leadership elections were first opened to the party's general membership in 1992.[10] The last Labor Party leader to have won consecutive leadership contests had been Shimon Peres in 1984.[11][8]

CandidateVotes%
Merav Michaeli12,42982.48
Eran Hermoni2,43516.16
None of the above2061.37
Total15,070100.00
Registered voters/turnout43
Source: Davar

References

  1. ^ "מרב מיכאלי נבחרה לראשות מפלגת העבודה בפעם השנייה ברציפות" [Merav Michaeli was elected to a second term as leader of the Labor Party]. Davar (in Hebrew). 18 July 2022. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  2. ^ "מרב מיכאלי נבחרה לראשות מפלגת העבודה בפעם השנייה ברציפות" [Merav Michaeli was elected to a second term as leader of the Labor Party]. Davar (in Hebrew). 18 July 2022. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  3. ^ Carrie Keller-Lynn (18 July 2022). "Michaeli clinches second elected term as Labor leader, a first in party's history". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. ^ "מרב מיכאלי ניצחה בפריימריז ונבחרה ליו"ר מפלגת העבודה" [Merav Michaeli won the primaries and was elected leader of the Labor Party]. Haaretz (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie (30 June 2022). "Knesset disbands, sets elections for November 1; Lapid to become PM at midnight". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  6. ^ "הבחירות לראשות מפלגת העבודה יתקיימו ב-18 ביולי" [Labor leadership election will take place on 18 July]. Ynet (in Hebrew). 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  7. ^ "זימון וסדר יום למושב הוועידה ה-10 בתאריך 12/7/22" [Committee Schedule and Agenda for 12 July 2022]. Israeli Labor Party (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Breur, Eliav (12 July 2022). "Merger with New Hope puts Gantz in good position for PM race". JPost.com. The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  9. ^ a b c "Israel: Michaeli expected to win reelection in Labor primaries". I24news. 17 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  10. ^ Carrie Keller-Lynn (18 July 2022). "Michaeli clinches second elected term as Labor leader, a first in party's history". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  11. ^ Keller-Lynn, Carrie (17 July 2022). "Michaeli expected to hold onto Labor leadership in primary — a first in decades". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
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