BICOM

The leader of Israel’s opposition will remain at the head of the Labour Party for at least another year, after the party convention rejected calls for a leadership contest before the end of the year.

Isaac Herzog arrived at yesterday’s Labour Party convention in Tel Aviv to a chorus of jeering from those unhappy with his leadership. He was heckled as he took to the stage, but said that whoever “makes noise is causing damage to his own cause. The party needs to know how to show respect”. The party’s Secretary-General Hilik Bar MK was forced to interrupt and invite “whoever doesn’t like it” to “go home”.

Herzog called the decision a “vote of confidence in my path” and said that he has “serious issues” with the conduct of MKs Shelly Yachimovich and Erel Margalit. Yachimovich accused Herzog of “crying and moaning over the booing” and showing “anything but leadership”. Herzog has remained leader of the Labour Party and the largest opposition faction, the Zionist Union, despite being defeated in last year’s general election.

The gathering was convened to decide when the next party leadership contest will take place. Herzog proposed that it should take place in July 2017, but his rivals, Yachimovich and Margalit had pressured for a ballot to take place as early as four months’ time and not beyond the end of 2016. Herzog’s position was endorsed by a vote yesterday of 750 delegates to 402 against.

Meanwhile, in another political development yesterday, it was confirmed that a ministerial reshuffle will take place between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party and the Kulanu Party headed by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon. Following the resignation of Kulanu appointee Avi Gabbay earlier this year, Likud’s Ze’ev Elkin will take over as environment minister. He will also remain minister for Jerusalem affairs. Kahlon will also become economy minister in addition to his finance portfolio, although responsibility for employment will no longer fall under the Economy Ministry.