Israel’s Labor Party Members Oust 2 Ministers in Primaries
Members of Israel’s Labor party on Tuesday elected new members for the party’s candidates’ list for the country’s Parliament, the Knesset, ahead of upcoming national elections. While the head of the party, Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli kept her position, two current ministers were relegated to unrealistic places on the list. Some 57% of the 40,000 party members took part in electing the new list.
Public Security Minister Omer Barlev is now No. 9 on the party list, which, according to polls, is expected to get five to six seats in the November 1 election. Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai, another longtime lawmaker, fell from eighth place to 17th. Younger parliament members, such as Naama Lazimi, got top positions on the list, and are expected to enter parliament following national elections. The new list makes the Labor party the only one in Israel with a female majority in its top 10 spots.
Michaeli said of the results that “we are a diverse and equal list, from all over society and from all over the country.” She did not actively support any of the candidates during the race.
The Labor party used to be the biggest party in Israel’s parliament and was considered the leading party in the country’s politics for decades. In recent years it became a smaller niche party, focused mainly on a left-wing socialist agenda while dealing with and speaking about the Israel-Palestinian conflict less. The newly elected candidates are expected to continue following this course.
