Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to have faced down a fresh challenge to his power on Thursday when his Likud party held a leadership vote in the run-up to a March national election, the country’s third in under a year.
HE GAINED 71.52 PERCENT OF VOTES
An exit poll cited by the political correspondent for Israel’s Channel 12 news predicted that Netanyahu, head of Likud for the past 14 years, would retain the right-wing party’s leadership with 71.52% of votes.
Netanyahu’s centrist rival in those elections, Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party, was also unable to form a coalition government, which has led Israel to political deadlock and an unprecedented third election.
Netanyahu has cast the legal case against him as a political witch-hunt orchestrated by the media and an Israeli left hoping to oust him.
