Isaac Herzog defeated in Israeli Labour party reelection bid

Israel’s opposition leader Isaac Herzog was defeated in his bid for reelection as head of the Labour Party.

The left-wing party will hold a runoff next week for the top two candidates: former Labour Party head and former Defence Minister Amir Peretz, who garnered the highest total with 33 percent of the vote; and Avi Gabbai, with 27 percent of the vote, who switched to the Labour party several months ago from the centre-right Kulanu Party.

Herzog, who came in third with 16 percent of the vote, served as head of the Labour Party for one four-year term.

A candidate must receive 40 percent of the votes cast to become head of the party. Voter turnout among registered Labour Party members was 59 percent.

Labour currently serves in Knesset, the Israeli parliament, as part of the Zionist Union, in partnership with the small Hatnua party of former foreign minister Tzipi Livni. The Zionist Union currently holds 24 seats in the 120-member Knesset.