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Israel’s embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a challenge yesterday for the leadership of his Likud party from a longtime rival, former interior minister Gideon Saar.
Likud’s roughly 116,000 eligible voters had until 11 pm (2100 GMT) to choose between Netanyahu and Saar, with the result expected by early Friday morning. Only 18 percent of party members had voted by 1300 GMT, according to Likud figures.
“There is wind, there is rain, but our spirit is stronger, so go vote for me,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media with his wife Sara. He cast his vote in a booth established in his residence.
His challenger Saar called it a “fateful day” for the party and the country, speaking as he went to vote near Tel Aviv. “We can win today and embark on a new path, which will enable us to form a strong and stable government,” he said.
A defeat for Netanyahu, 70, would be a shock, but even a relatively close result could weaken his influence over the conservative party he has dominated for 20 years. After a decade in power, Netanyahu is Israel’s longest serving premier but he has been weakened by a series of corruption indictments.
Turnout was expected to be lower than previous primaries, the last of which was in 2014, as much of Israel was hit by winter storms, although it was unclear which of the candidates would benefit from this.
After months of political stalemate, he faces a third general election within 12 months early next year but only if he first defeats his challenger. Saar, 53, a former interior and education minister, is seen as slightly to the right of Netanyahu and has called for an even more hawkish policy towards the Palestinians.
The Israel-Palestinian conflict as ever loomed over politics. On Wednesday evening Netanyahu was rushed off stage at a campaign event in Ashkelon in southern Israel near Gaza after alarms sounded indicating incoming fire from the Palestinian enclave.
