Britney Spears Concert Leads Israeli Labor Party To Delay Leadership Vote

By Daniel J. Solomon April 5, 2017

Israel’s Labor Party is not that innocent – it’s delayed its leadership election because of a Britney Spears concert slated to take place on the same day as voting.

Party sources told Ha’aretz the postponement was more due to logistical concerns than to deference for the American pop star, who will take the stage at Tel Aviv’s Exhibition Grounds on July 3. Labor Party officials were apparently concerned they would not be able to hire enough poll workers and security personnel for the vote because of staffing at the Spears event.

As a result, the polls will open for Labor voters the next day, July 4. Isaac Herzog, the current leader of the opposition party, is expected to face a stiff challenge in his bid to remain on, with Labor out of power now for almost two decades.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon

Daniel J. Solomon is the former Assistant to the Editor/News Writer at the Forward. Originally from Queens, he attended Harvard as an undergraduate, where he wrote his senior thesis on French-Jewish intellectual history. He is excited to have returned to New York after his time in Massachusetts. Daniel’s passions include folk music, cycling, and pointed argument.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO