1996 Meretz leadership election
{{Short description|Election for leader of the Meretz Party}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1996 Meretz leadership election
| flag_image = Meretz (1992).png
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| next_election = 1999 Meretz leadership election
| next_year = 1999
| election_date = 22 October 1996
| image1 = Yossi Sarid.JPG
| candidate1 = Yossi Sarid
| popular_vote1 =
| percentage1 =
| map_image =
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| title = Meretz leader
| before_election = Shulamit Aloni
| posttitle = Meretz leader
| after_election = Yossi Sarid
}}
The 1996 Meretz leadership election was held on 22 October 1996.{{cite web |title=Former MK and minister Yossi Sarid dies at 75 |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4735017,00.html|website=Ynetnews.com|access-date=23 February 2022 |language=en |date=4 December 2015}} It saw the election of Yossi Sarid to succeed Shulamit Aloni as the party's leader.{{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}} This was the first leadership election in the party's history. The election was held by a vote of Meretz' Party Council. Incumbent party leader Aloni had announced her retirement after Sarid had announced his intent to challenge her for party leadership. This came amid disputes between the party's leadership.{{cite web |last1=Druckman |first1=Yaron |title=Former Minister Shulamit Aloni dies at the age of 85 |url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4480558,00.html |website=Ynetnews.com |access-date=23 February 2022 |language=en |date=24 January 2014}}
Background
Meretz was formed prior to the 1992 Israeli legislative election by an alliance of three left-wing political parties, Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was initially led by Ratz's chairwoman and long-time Knesset member Shulamit Aloni. The party proceeded to win twelve seats in the election, making it the third-largest in the Knesset. Meretz became the major coalition partner of Yitzhak Rabin's Labor Party, helping pave the way for the Oslo Accords.{{Cite web |title=משולה ועד זהבה: עלייתה ונפילתה של מרצ |url=https://13tv.co.il/item/news/politics/politics/meretz-party-903312830/|access-date=8 March 2023 |website=Reshet 13 |language=he}} The party also picked up several ministerial portfolios; Aloni was made Minister of Education, then Minister of Communications and Science and Technology,{{Cite web |title=Member of the Knesset Shulamit Aloni |url=https://main.knesset.gov.il/en/MK/APPS/mk/mk-print/132 |access-date=8 March 2023 |website=Knesset}} while other party members including Amnon Rubinstein, Yossi Sarid and Yair Tzaban received additional portfolios.{{Cite web |title=Twenty-Fifth government |url=https://m.knesset.gov.il/en/mk/government/pages/governments.aspx?govId=25 |access-date=8 March 2023 |website=Knesset}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Political party leadership elections in Israel}}