When Chairman of the Labor Party Isaac “Buji” Herzog spoke at the Labor Party convention on July 31, he faced a chorus of dozens of party members chanting “Buji go home!” By then he already knew that despite the humiliation, he was assured a victory on his proposal to postpone the party’s primaries. Maybe that was why he didn’t look too worried. He even flashed a fighting spirit of his own, when he shouted back, “I will not allow a culture akin to La Familia [fan club of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team that is known for violent acts] in the Labor Party.” He made it quite clear that he has no plans to go anywhere. He would remain the leader of the Labor Party.

The party convention only took place after numerous delays. It was the first time that Herzog faced his rivals who want to depose him. According to the party’s constitution, internal elections for the position of party chairman were supposed to be held last May. But Herzog’s standing within the party had already suffered a severe blow, following his failed attempt to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in May, so he tried to postpone his fate. Never for a moment did he plan to leave without a fight, or to put his head on the chopping block.

The party chairman’s opponents, led by Knesset members Erel Margalit, former party chair Shelly Yachimovich and Omer Bar-Lev, called for primaries to be held as soon as possible.

The bottom line is that by the time the party arrived at its convention July 31, it was battered and exhausted after another annus horribilis in the opposition. The main issue on the agenda was a proposal by Herzog to postpone the primaries by a year, to July 2017. This was countered by a proposal by Margalit and Yachimovich to hold the primaries in December 2016.