Israeli Labour leadership elections

[danny]

I have heard of dead people voting, but a dead party is a new one.

Elections will be in September and were triggered after the previous leader Ehud Barak defected from the party so he could create his own party.

Announced candidates:

Amir Peretz- A former leader of the central workers union who became Party leader in 2005 after beating now president Shimon Peres (another guy who later defected). as leader during the 2006 elections he ran a campaign saying he is a different leader who will focus on welfare and helping the poor, got second place with 19 mandates, and then became defence minister in the Olmert government (the ministry with almost the least effect on everything he ran). Peretz was seen as a failure as defence minister, and in the next Labour leadership election in 2007, he came in a distant third. Since his defeat he has stayed as a Knesset member.

Shelly Yechimovitch- A former journalist turned politician. Has been a Knesset member since 2006.

Yitzhak Herzog- A knesset member since 2003 and minister of welfare and social Services
minister of the diaspora, society and the fight against antisemitism (that's a single ministry)
minister of housing and construction minister of tourism.

Avishay Braverman- Former world bank official and later president of Ben-Gurion university. Became a Knesset member in 2006, and was minister of minorities in the Netanyahu government until Barak's defection.

Shlomo Buchbut- Mayor of Ma'alot, a town 20k people in the north, since 1976, and Knesset member between 1992-1996 (he "double dipped"). Defected to Kadima in 2006, but returned a year later.

[danny]

Labour seats in the Knesset:
notice a trend?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

8 seats being what they're polling at the moment?

[danny]

8 seats being what they're polling at the moment?

It's the number of seats the have post Barak and co. departure, although it really is about what they are polling anyway. But I'll edit the heading, anyway.

[Thomas216]

Braverman announced he ain't running a couple of weeks ago. Buchbut is a mayor but more importantly he's the head of the Israeli Municipal Centre (sort of like the national governors association only for mayors).

[danny]

Braverman announced he ain't running a couple of weeks ago. Buchbut is a mayor but more importantly he's the head of the Israeli Municipal Centre (sort of like the national governors association only for mayors).

Your right, I missed that (not that he would win anyway), so that leaves just 4 candidates.

[Peter the Lefty]

Looks like Amram Mitzna is throwing his hat into the ring, with polls showing 16 or 17 seats for Labor under his leadership.  What can I say?  The guy ruined Labor in 2003, but he's the best chance they have at the moment.  Right now, returning Labor to a (relatively) strong number of Knesset seats is what's most important. 

[danny]

The first round was last week:
Shelly yehimovich-32%
Amir Peretz-31%
Yitzhak Herzog-25%
Amram mitzna-12%

Since no one made 40% there will be a runoff tomorrow between Yehimovich and Peretz.
Mitzna endorsed Peretz while the central workers union endorsed Yehimovich continuing from the first round in which they endorsed "anyone but Peretz" (funny as Peretz is the former head of the workers union).

personally I expect Shelly to win this as the demographics that support the two losers are closer to her rather than Peretz's

[republicanism]

The first round was last week:
Shelly yehimovich-32%
Amir Peretz-31%
Yitzhak Herzog-25%
Amram mitzna-12%

Since no one made 40% there will be a runoff tomorrow between Yehimovich and Peretz.
Mitzna endorsed Peretz while the central workers union endorsed Yehimovich continuing from the first round in which they endorsed "anyone but Peretz" (funny as Peretz is the former head of the workers union).

personally I expect Shelly to win this as the demographics that support the two losers are closer to her rather than Peretz's

What's Yehimovich's position within the Labor party?

[lilTommy]

Have there been any polls on how all the parties are fairing? wondering how well the "left" would perform in israel... its looking pretty dim

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yeah, interesting set of results. Mitzna's showing was incredibly poor.

What's Yehimovich's position within the Labor party?

Left wing as the term is usually defined, but I suppose not so much given the slightly odd meaning it's had in Israel of late.

[danny]

The first round was last week:
Shelly yehimovich-32%
Amir Peretz-31%
Yitzhak Herzog-25%
Amram mitzna-12%

Since no one made 40% there will be a runoff tomorrow between Yehimovich and Peretz.
Mitzna endorsed Peretz while the central workers union endorsed Yehimovich continuing from the first round in which they endorsed "anyone but Peretz" (funny as Peretz is the former head of the workers union).

personally I expect Shelly to win this as the demographics that support the two losers are closer to her rather than Peretz's

What's Yehimovich's position within the Labor party?

On national issues, which is what left and right refer to in Israel, Yehimovich is more moderate than Peretz (see Sibboleth's link).

On economic issues (which in Israel are referred to as social issues) they are both left wing although the focus seems different: Peretz talks more about workers rights and raising the minimum wage while yehimovich focuses on fighting big tycoons but I doubt there is much difference on the issues.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Yachimovich has won with 54%.