2019 Likud leadership election

A leadership election was held by the Likud party on 26 December 2019.[2]

2019 Likud leadership election
26 December 2019
Turnout49%[1]
 
Candidate Benjamin Netanyahu Gideon Sa'ar
Party Likud Likud
Popular vote 41,792 15,885
Percentage 72.5% 27.5%
Likud leader before election

Benjamin Netanyahu

 Likud leader after election

Benjamin Netanyahu

Background

After the April 2019 Israeli legislative election, Netanyahu was unable to form a coalition by the deadline of 29 May. Instead of letting Benny Gantz attempt to form a coalition of his own, the majority of the Knesset dissolved itself, and a snap election was held on 17 September 2019.

The second election was inconclusive, prompting warnings of a third election.[3]

The threat was deemed unacceptable by the opposition and the general public, and the prime minister called on Gantz to form a national unity government, even offering to cede the top job sometime in the future. Gantz rejected this offer, noting Netanyahu's proposed unity government would include all of Netanyahu's right-wing allies, but none of Gantz's centre-left allies. Gantz has also refused to sit with Likud as long as Netanyahu is its leader, due to the criminal cases against Netanyahu.

In October 2019, amid coalition talks, Prime Minister Netanyahu indicated he was considering holding snap primaries for party leadership. In a terse tweet, Sa'ar responded, "I'm ready." After Netanyahu decided against holding a leadership election, Sa'ar confirmed he would run in the next election and would support Netanyahu until then.

On 21 November 2019, Netanyahu was officially indicted for breach of trust, accepting bribes, and fraud. As a result of the indictment, some in the Likud began to support Gideon Sa'ar in his bid for the chairmanship of the Likud.[4]

On 24 November 2019, Sa'ar asked the Likud Central Committee to schedule a party leadership race within two weeks.

On 25 December 2019, Netanyahu said that shall he win, there will be no elections for the party list in March.

Polling
Poll Date Netanyahu Sa'ar Other / Don't Know
bnews (strawpoll)[5] 24 November 2019 81% 10% 9%
Channel 13[6] 25 November 2019 53% 40% 7%
Walla![7] 26 November 2019 82% 12% 6%
Channel 12[8] 26 November 2019 89% 4% 7%

Results
2019 Likud leadership election[9][10]
Candidate Votes Percentage
Benjamin Netanyahu 41,792
72.5%
Gideon Sa'ar 15,885
27.5%

References
  1. Dror Halavy (27 December 2019). "Netanyahu Wins by a Landslide in South; Likud MKs Call For Unity". Hamodia. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  2. David Horovitz (27 December 2019). "Result was never in doubt, but Netanyahu gets huge boost from crushing Likud win". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  3. Holmes, Oliver (29 May 2019). "Israel to hold new elections after Netanyahu coalition talks fail". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  4. Holmes, Oliver (21 November 2019). "Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu indicted for bribery and fraud". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  5. ניוז, B.- (2019-11-24). "סקר פריימריז בליכוד אילו הבחירות היום ואלו המתמודדים, למי תצביעו?". בִּי נְיוּז (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  6. "סקר: 40 אחוז תמיכה לגדעון סער בליכוד". Kipa (in Hebrew). 26 November 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  7. "סקר וואלה! NEWS: נתניהו מביס את סער בקרב מצביעי הליכוד". Walla! (in Hebrew). 26 November 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  8. "סקר: כחול לבן מובילה על הליכוד ב-7 מנדטים". Israel Hayom (in Hebrew). Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  9. "Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu comfortably wins party leadership challenge". BBC. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  10. Krauss, Joseph (27 December 2019). "Israel's embattled Netanyahu wins landslide in primary". AP. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
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