Israeli Labor Party leadership election, 2011

Following the departure of Ehud Barak from the membership and leadership of the Israeli Labor Party, a leadership election was called.

First round

The first round was held on September 12.

• Shelly Yachimovich received 32% of the votes
• former party leader Amir Peretz received 31%
• Isaac Herzog was in third place, receiving 25% of the votes
• former party leader Amram Mitzna received 12%

According to Israel Army Radio, turnout of voting Labor Party members was at 65%. None of the candidates received at least 40% of the votes, thus ruling out Herzog and Mitzna and sending Yachimovich and Peretz into a second round.^[1]

Second round

The second round was held on September 21:

• Yachimovich clinched 54% of the vote
• Peretz gained 45% of the vote.

In comparison to the first round, only 61% of Labor members, or 16,272 people, voted at any of the 171 poll stations throughout the country; only 55% of Arab Labor members participated in the election.^[2] Yachimovich was thus elected leader of the party, becoming the second female leader of the party since Golda Meir, who was elected leader of Mapai in 1969 and automatically became leader of the Labor Party upon the merger of Mapai with Rafi and Ahdut HaAvoda.

References