Benjamin Netanyahu retained the leadership of the ruling right-wing Likud party in Israel after winning a large majority over his rival, former minister Gideon Sa’ar, allowing him to compete again for the position of Prime Minister in the early elections next March 2.
Netanyahu, who led the Likud over the past 14 years, announced his victory late yesterday evening in a tweet on Twitter, and talked about his achievement of a great victory over his only rival who was seeking to topple him and lead the party in the upcoming elections.
For his part, Saar congratulated Netanyahu on the victory, pledged his support in the early elections, and expressed his satisfaction for his decision to contest the leadership of the Likud.
According to results published by the Likud party, Netanyahu won 72% of the vote after obtaining about 42,000 votes, compared to 28% of the vote for the former Minister of Education and Interior, who received about 16,000 votes.
116,000 Likud members were called to vote in these internal elections, which were described as a difficult test for Netanyahu, who was charged with corruption charges. The participation rate reached 49%, and the voting took place from nine in the morning until eleven in the evening, occupied Jerusalem time.
During yesterday's day, Netanyahu urged his supporters to vote for him extensively to ensure the right won, while Sa’ar said while casting his vote that he could win and take a new path that would allow him to form a strong and stable government.
The internal vote in the Likud comes a month after the Israeli Public Prosecution issued an indictment for Netanyahu that includes corruption, forgery and treacherous trust, which are rejected by the current Israeli Prime Minister and considered it a measure by the Israeli left media to topple him.