At the time of the leadership election, Labor was broadly anticipated, per opinion polls, to have a strong performance over rival Likud in that election.

[1] Additionally, prior to his death from a sudden heart attack in late February 1980, Yigal Allon had been campaigning to unseat Peres as party leader, but his prospects of winning were seen as weak.

[4] Peres was expected to secure a comfortable reelection as party leader.

[5] Rabin attempted to persuade the delegates comprising the electorate that he was more popular than Peres, and therefore presented the party with a greater chance at leading in the 1981 Knesset election.

[1] The election's electorate was the 3,101 delegates to the party's convention.