The 2003 Israeli Labor Partyleadership election was held on 19 June 2003[1] to elect the leader of the Israeli Labor Party. It saw the party's Central Committee elect former prime minister and former longtime party leader Shimon Peres as the party's interim leader.
Unlike the party's regular leadership elections since 1992 (which have been open to its general membership, with the exception of the 1995 leadership election held under extraordinary circumstances), the electorate of this election consisted only of members of the party's Central Committee.[1]
Shimon Peres, former party leader (1977–1992; 1995–1997), former prime minister (1984–1986; 1995–1996), former unofficial acting prime minister (1977), member of the Knesset since 1959, former minister of defense (1974–1977; 1995–1996), former minister of foreign affairs (1986–1988; 1992–1995; 2001–2002)
Peres won a strong victory over his two younger rivals. However, his margin of the vote was less than many had anticipated he would receive.[1] This was the fifth and final Israeli Labor Party leadership vote that Peres would win, after the 1977, April 1977, 1980, and 1984 leadership elections. It was also the eight Israeli Labor Party leadership election that Peres had run in, as, in addition to the aforementioned leadership elections that he won, he had unsuccessfully run in the 1974, February 1977, and 1992 leadership elections.[3] Peres would go on to unsuccessfully run in one final leadership election when he ran unsuccessfully in the following 2005 leadership election.
2003 Israeli Labor Party interim leadership election[4]
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