Race for Likud leadership heats up
Israel’s Netanyahu faces longtime rival
JERUSALEM: Israel’s embattled premier Benjamin Netanyahu faced off against longtime rival Gideon Saar for the Likud party leadership yesterday, in a contest that could threaten his grip on power.
A defeat for Mr 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.
In power as premier for a decade, Mr Netanyahu early next year faces a third general election within 12 months and has been indicted in a multi-pronged corruption probe.
But to lead Likud into the next national poll, he must overcome the internal party challenge.
Polls in that party race opened across the country at 9am with Likud’s roughly 116,000 eligible voters having until 11pm to choose between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Saar. Results are expected today.
At a polling station in the Kiryat Moshe neighbourhood of Jerusalem, Rami David said he voted for Mr Saar because “he would give Likud a new image”.
Mr Saar, 53, has been a senior figure in the Likud for a decade and held multiple ministries.
He is seen as slightly to the right of Mr Netanyahu and has called for an even more hawkish policy towards the Palestinians.
Nathan Moati, 26, backed Mr Netanyahu and didn’t think supporters were concerned by the indictment.
“The most important thing is to vote overwhelmingly — we need to have 80/20 [for Netanyahu].”
Mr Saar and Mr Netanyahu have spent recent days criss-crossing the country, with Mr Saar seeking to portray himself as a more electable leader.
The campaign’s most dramatic moment came on Wednesday evening when Mr Netanyahu was rushed off stage while campaigning in Ashkelon in southern Israel near Gaza, after what the army called a “projectile” was fired from the Palestinian enclave.
Stephan Miller, a pollster who has worked on multiple Israeli campaigns, said whatever the result, “Netanyahu can only lose”.
No matter how much support Mr Saar receives, “it will be the first time in 10 years that a group of voters on the right explicitly express their desire to get rid of Netanyahu”, he said.
“If that is more than a third of the party, Mr Netanyahu will be significantly damaged.”
The winner of yesterday’s vote will lead Likud into Israel’s third national poll within 12 months.
The general elections in April and September saw Mr Netanyahu deadlocked with centrist challenger Benny Gantz, neither of them able to command a majority in Israel’s proportional parliament.
Last month, Mr Netanyahu was indicted for fraud, bribery and breach of trust in three corruption cases, allegations he strongly denies.
The primaries were called shortly after, the first internal challenge to Mr Netanyahu since 2014.
A series of polls in recent weeks have indicated a Saar-led Likud might win fewer seats in a third election than under Mr Netanyahu, but the overall rightwing bloc might be larger — potentially yielding a viable governing coalition.
Mr Saar has not attacked Mr Netanyahu personally, even hinting he would support him becoming Israel’s president.
A source close to Mr Saar insisted his camp was hopeful of an upset.
“More and more, the Likud rank and file members are understanding the choice is between Netanyahu and being in opposition versus Saar and being in government,” the source explained.