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Israeli Labour party members vote for new leader
Members of the Israeli Labour Party head to the polls today to vote for their next party leader.
According to Labour party sources, 52,000 eligible voters in 80 computerised polling stations throughout the country will choose the next Leader of the Opposition. The polls open at 11:00 and close at 21:00, with the results announced at 21:30.
There are seven candidates standing in the election, with five considered serious contenders; current party leader Isaac Herzog, Amir Peretz MK, Avi Gabbay, Erel Margalit MK and Omer Bar Lev MK. The two lesser known candidates are Hod Krovi and Avner Ben-Zaken.
If no candidate wins 40 per cent of the vote in the first round today, a run-off vote between the top two candidates will be held on Monday 10 July.
Amir Peretz, former Mayor of Sderot and former Defence Minister under Ehud Olmert, is seen by many as the favourite in the race. Peretz is widely credited for pushing the deployment of the Iron Dome anti-missile system, and will likely receive more votes from rural areas because he is a former head of the Israeli Labour Federation, the Histadrut.
Avi Gabbay is considered the outsider candidate, which may help him bring something new to the party he only recently joined. Although he has never been elected to the Knesset, he served as Environment Minister in the government before resigning when Avigdor Lieberman was appointed Defence Minister in 2016.
Erel Margalit, a successful high tech entrepreneur, was elected to the Knesset in 2013. He has a long track record as a social activist, particularly helping youth and creating employment opportunities in peripheral communities.
Omer Barlev, the son of a former Chief of Staff and a former military commander in the Sayeret Matkal, the Israeli SAS, was first elected to the Knesset 2013 and has a credible track record in social activism, particularly in the voluntary sector. He is regarded as the security candidate and has the backing of several prominent and former military commanders.
Two other candidates, Dina Dayan and Amiram Levin, withdrew from the race over the last few days.