2018 Meretz leadership election

2018 Meretz leadership election

← 2015 22 March 2018 2019  →
~30,000 party members simple majority of votes needed to win
Turnout	53.69%
Candidate Tamar Zandberg Avi Buskila Party Meretz Meretz Popular vote 12,112 4,851 Percentage 71.21% 28.52%
Meretz leader before election Zehava Galon Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg

An election was held for the leadership of the Meretz party on 22 March 2018. It saw the election of Tamar Zandberg.

Background

The vote was open to party members. Party membership increased by 12,000, to roughly 30,000, ahead of the vote. ^[1] Outgoing leader Galon wanted the election to use an open primary-style system in which any Israeli citizen could vote, regardless of party registration. The party wound up instead adopting a compromise presented by Tamar Zandberg, which saw the party allow anyone to register as a party member up to a month before the leadership election and the party's slate-selection primary, and be allowed to participate in those elections. ^[2]

Candidates

On ballot

• Avi Buskila, former secretary general of Peace Now ^[3]
• David Cashni
• Ofir Paz
• Tamar Zandberg, member of the Knesset since 2013 ^[4]

Withdrawn

• Zehava Galon, incumbent leader of Meretz ^[5]
• Avi Dabush endorsed Zandberg ^[6]
• Ilan Gilon, member of the Knesset (1999–2003; since 2009) endorsed Zandberg ^{[5] [7]}
• Emri Kalman, endorsed Buskila^{[ citation needed ]}
• David Neve^{[ citation needed ]}

Results

The party reported that 53.69% of eligible voters participated in the election. ^[8] The party reported that 130 polling stations across Israel were utilized for the vote. ^[8]

2018 Meretz leadership election ^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Meretz	Tamar Zandberg	12,112	71.21
	Meretz	Avi Buskila	4,851	28.52
	Meretz	David Cashni	23	0.14
	Meretz	Ofir Paz	22	0.13
Turnout			17,008	53.69

References

1. "לקראת הבחירות לראשות מרצ: זינוק במספר המתפקדים למפלגה". Haaretz הארץ (in Hebrew). 19 February 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
2. Wootliff, Raoul (22 March 2018). "Party veteran, ex-Peace Now head face off in Meretz leadership race". The Times of Israel . The Times of Israel. ISSN   0040-7909 . Retrieved 14 February 2022.
3. "מנכ"ל שלום עכשיו אבי בוסקילה הודיע כי יתמודד על ראשות מרצ". Haaretz הארץ (in Hebrew). 14 January 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
4. "חברת הכנסת תמר זנדברג הכריזה על התמודדות לראשות מרצ". Haaretz הארץ (in Hebrew). 11 January 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
5. "גלאון וגילאון פרשו מהתמודדות לראשות מרצ". ynet (in Hebrew). 28 February 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
6. "עוד מועמד לראשות מרצ פורש". ערוץ 7 (in Hebrew). 13 March 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
7. "המרוץ במרצ: ח"כ אילן גילאון תומך בתמר זנדברג". ynet (in Hebrew). 13 March 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
8. "יו"ר מרצ: ח"כ תמר זנדברג | מרצ". meretz.org (in Hebrew). Meretz. 28 May 2020. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.