Yitzhak Herzog
Yitzhak HerzogHadas Parush/Flash 90

The Labor Party may be facing a major split following its internal elections, Communications Minister Ayoub Kara (Likud) said on Thursday.

On Tuesday, nearly 31,000 of the Labor Party’s 52,000 members voted in the party’s internal leadership election. The results were hardly decisive, with no candidate receiving anywhere near an absolute majority.

Incumbent party chief Isaac Herzog failed to make it to the run-off vote, coming in a distant third with just 16.7%.

Former Defense Minister Amir Peretz came in first with 32.7%, while ex-Environmental Protection Minister Avi Gabai came in second with 27%. The two will face-off in a second round of voting to determine the party’s future leadership.

According to Kara, Labor’s tumultuous primary season revealed serious internal divisions, which he says could culminate in a split following the run-off election.

The Labor Party is committing suicide,” Kara told 102FM in an interview set to air on Friday.

“I expect that this [the primary election] won’t end with the selection of a new party chief. There will be an explosion [within the party].”

“I estimate that if we [Israel] goes to a regional conference – and that seems likely – I wouldn’t be surprised if part of [Labor] joins the coalition; I’ve spoken with some of them. Once the conference opens, I believe they will support the coalition.”