1980 Israeli Labor Party leadership election

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1980 Israeli Labor Party leadership election

| country =

| flag_image = Havoda (1977-1992).png

| type =

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = April 1977 Israeli Labor Party leadership election

| previous_year = 1977 (Apr)

| next_election = 1984 Israeli Labor Party leadership election

| next_year = 1984

| election_date = 18 December 1980

| image1 = 150x150px

| candidate1 = Shimon Peres

| popular_vote1 = 2,123

| percentage1 = 70.81%

| image2 = 150x150px

| candidate2 = Yitzhak Rabin

| popular_vote2 = 875

| percentage2 = 29.19%

| title = Leader

| before_election = Shimon Peres

| after_election = Shimon Peres

}}

The 1980 Israeli Labor Party leadership election was held on 18 December 1980. It saw the delegates to the party's convention reelect Shimon Peres as the party's leader. Peres defeated Yitzhak Rabin.

This was the third of four leadership contests in which Rabin and Peres faced each other (following the 1974 and February 1977 and preceding by the 1992 leadership elections).

Background

The vote took place in advance of the 1981 Knesset election. At the time of the leadership election, Labor was broadly anticipated, per opinion polls, to have a strong performance over rival Likud in that election.{{cite web |title=Israeli Labor Party leadership contested |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/107228275 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=The Indiana Star |agency=The Associated Press |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=18 December 1980}}

Additionally, prior to his death from a sudden heart attack in late February 1980, Yigal Allon had been campaigning to unseat Peres as party leader, but his prospects of winning were seen as weak.Multiple sources

{{cite web |last1=Silver |first1=Eric |title=Geleral Allon: Jews' Audacious Officer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/259482854 |website=The Guardian at Newspapers.co |via=NEwspapers.com |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 July 2024 |language=en |date=March 1, 1980}}
{{cite web |last1=Epstein |first1=Joel |title=Yigal Allon, Israel's Ex-Foreign Minister |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/167862086 |website=The Philadelphia Inquirer |publisher=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |agency=Associated Press |access-date=2 July 2024 |language=en |date=March 1, 1981}} Allon was a political rival of Peres.{{cite web |last1=Shargil |first1=Yitzhak |title=Tens of Thousands of People Attend Funeral of Yigal Allon |url=http://pdfs.jta.org/1980/1980-03-03_043.pdf |website=JTA Daily News Bulletin |date=March 3, 1980 |access-date=1 July 2024}}

Candidates

Shimon Peres, incumbent leader since 1977, member of the Knesset since 1959, former minister of defense (1974–1977), former Minister of Information (1974), former Minister of Transportation (1970–1974), and former Minister of Immigration and Absorption (1969–1970)
Yitzhak Rabin, former leader (1974–1977), former prime minister (1974–1977), member of the Knesset since 1973, former Minister of Labour (1974), former ambassador to the United States (1968–1973), and former Chief of the General Staff (1964–1968)

Campaign

Peres was expected to secure a comfortable reelection as party leader.{{cite web |title=Follow Egypt, makle peace with Israel: Peres |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/482645904 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Calgary Herald |agency=-United Press International |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=18 December 1980}} Rabin attempted to persuade the delegates comprising the electorate that he was more popular than Peres, and therefore presented the party with a greater chance at leading in the 1981 Knesset election.

Voting procedure

The election's electorate was the 3,101 delegates to the party's convention.

Results

{{Election box begin no party no change|title=1980 Israeli Labor Party leadership election{{cite journal |last1=Kenig |first1=Ofer |title=Democratizing Party Leadership Selection in Israel: A Balance Sheet |journal=Israel Studies Forum |date=2009 |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=62–81 |jstor=41805011 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41805011 |access-date=25 January 2022 |issn=1557-2455}}}}

{{Election box winning candidate no party no change

|candidate = Shimon Peres (incumbent)

|votes = 2,123

|percentage = 70.81

}}

{{Election box candidate no party no change

|candidate = Yitzhak Rabin

|votes = 875

|percentage = 29.19

}}

{{Election box total no party no change

|votes = 2998