BICOM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to win a landslide victory in today’s Likud primaries and lead the party in the next Knesset elections. Netanyahu’s only rival, Moshe Feiglin, won 23.4 per cent of the votes in the previous Likud primary, in August 2007, compared with Netanyahu’s 73.2 per cent. Results are likely to be similar this time as well.

Despite the fact that Netanyahu is a clear favorite, his supporters held rallies throughout the country and sent automated messages to thousands of Likud members urging them to vote yesterday.  The PM’s camp fears a low voter turnout would artificially inflate the strength of the far-Right camp, headed by Feiglin, within the ruling party.

The Likud’s 500 ballots, in 154 locations, are scheduled to open in Israel at 10 am. The vote will end at 10.00 pm, and the party expects to be able to announce a clear winner by midnight Israel time. Some 130,000 people, who have been Likud members for at least 16 months, will be eligible to vote. The party members will also elect a new Likud Central Committee.