Israel’s indicted Netanyahu faces party leadership challenge

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 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, 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 09:00am (0700 GMT), with Likud’s roughly 116,000 eligible voters having until 11:00pm to choose between Netanyahu and Saar. Results are expected early Friday morning.

At a polling station in the Kiryat Moshe neighbourhood of Jerusalem, Rami David said he voted for Saar because “he would give Likud a new image.”

Saar, 53, has been a senior figure in the Likud for a decade and held multiple ministries.

 

Israels indicted Netanyahu faces party leadership challenge

Israels 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 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, 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 09:00am (0700 GMT), with Likuds roughly 116,000 eligible voters having until 11:00pm to choose between Netanyahu and Saar. Results are expected early Friday morning. At a polling station in the Kiryat Moshe neighbourhood of Jerusalem, Rami David said he voted for Saar because he would give Likud a new image. Saar, 53, has been a senior figure in the Likud for a decade and held multiple ministries.