Former MK Yair Golan was elected to the position of chairman of the Labor Party on Tuesday evening, winning 95.15% of the votes after running against a slate of relatively unknown candidates.
Candidate Itay Leshem received 1.76% of the vote, Azi Nagar received 0.77% of the vote, Avi Shaked received 1.89% of the vote, 0.43% abstained.
The total number of voters was 31,353, which is 60.6% of all party members.
After his victory, Golan said, "This evening we present the alternative to the most failed government in Israel's history. This evening, we stand before the citizens of the country to say clearly and decisively - Israel must change direction and immediately."
"We will be a home for those who fight for the lifeblood of healthy Israeli nationalism and the lifeblood of democracy. A home for the values of the Declaration of Independence," he added.
Golan further promised, "We will be a real home for those who went out to fight for the security of the country. For those who chose to serve it on the battlefield, in the public sector, in science, in education and in society. We will be the home of working women and men, who contribute to society, who contribute to the economy.”
Golan concluded, "We will be a house of truth for all democrats. A liberal, pluralistic and open house, a broad house, whose heart is generous to all, a Zionist house that is committed to the values of the Declaration of Independence, to enlightened Judaism, to Judaism that sees the person at the center and not the land, because a good country serves its citizens , and does everything so that their blood does not saturate its land!".
Outgoing Labor Party chairwoman MK Merav Michaeli wrote, "Good luck to Yair and the party."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid congratulated Golan on his victory and said, "Congratulations to Major General Yair Golan on the victory in the race for chairman of the Labor Party. Israel needs patriotic public representatives, lovers of the country like Golan. We have a lot of work to do for the country. I wish Golan and the Labor Party success."
Golan was able to convince the current MKs of the Labor Party not to compete for the leadership, which ensured his victory.
In the future, Golan intends to work to unify the Labor Party with the Meretz Party, on behalf of which he previously served as a member of the Knesset.
Michaeli had previously announced that after the election of the next party chairman, she does not intend to run again for a spot on the party's Knesset slate.