Israel Elections: Court forces primaries in Labor Party

Six weeks ago, Labor’s convention decided by a 66% to 33% vote to cancel its primaries for the party’s chairmanship and Knesset candidates.

JANUARY 3, 2021 14:13

Chairman of the Labor party Amir Peretz seen during a press conference with Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz and party members in Tel Aviv on March 12, 2020. (photo credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90) — Chairman of the Labor party Amir Peretz seen during a press conference with Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz and party members in Tel Aviv on March 12, 2020.

(photo credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)

Labor will be the only party to elect its leader and Knesset candidates ahead of the March 23 election, after the Tel Aviv District Court decided on Sunday that a move by Labor chairman Amir Peretz to cancel the party's primaries was illegal.

Six weeks ago, Labor’s convention decided by a 66% to 33% vote to cancel its primaries for the party’s chairmanship and Knesset candidates, shifting the right to vote away from the 44,000 Labor members and giving it to the 3,800 activists eligible to vote at the convention.

The delegates to the convention, who are dominated by supporters of Labor leader Amir Peretz, also voted to authorize him to merge Labor with Blue and White and other parties. That proposal passed by a vote of 69% to 30%.

The judges threw out that decision on Sunday, ruling in favor of a lawsuit by MK Merav Michaeli against Peretz.

"Democracy won, the truth won, justice won, and we won," Michaeli said. "It was not an easy battle. We were up against the powerful and well-funded party apparatus that controls Labor's resources. We achieved the justice that we so needed to achieve."

An attorney for Peretz said he was studying the ruling.

"We will study the ruling and decide how to act on it," a Peretz spokesman said.

Michaeli announced after the decision that she will run for Labor party leader.