Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won the Likud party primaries hands down on Thursday, December 26, 2019.
Netanyahu received 72.5% (41,792) of the votes, while his opponent, Gidon Sa’ar, received 27.5% (15,885).
49% of the Likud’s membership voted at 106 voting stations nationwide.
After the results were published, Sa’ar gave his blessings to Netanyahu, and declared that he and his followers stand behind Netanyahu and in the fight to win the general elections.
סער בהצהרה לתקשורת: ״אנחנו עומדים מאחורי נתניהו לקראת הבחירות הכלליות. אני שלם עם ההחלטה להתמודד. מי שלא מוכן להסתכן לעולם לא ינצח. נשנס מותניים לקראת הבחירות.״
סער: אנחנו עומדים מאחורי נתניהו לקראת הבחירות הכלליות ב2.3. שלם עם ההחלטה להתמודד. מי שלא מוכן להסתכן לעולם לא ינצח pic.twitter.com/6AxJadj9HG— ZioNLight (@ZioNLight1)
Netanyahu, on his part, announced that he wants Gidon Sa’ar by his side, and he plans to united the Likud just like he united the entire right wing.
Netanyahu received a clear mandate to rule from the Likud membership and their desire that he head the next government.
The Likud is also the only major party running in the upcoming general elections that held primary elections for its leadership, giving Netanyahu a personal edge when it comes to claiming he has a mandate from the people, something the non-democratically selected leadership of the Blue&White party have been trying to deny Netanyahu.
This election campaign also noted a significant change in Netanyahu’s election strategy and behavior.
For years, Netanyahu stuck to social media outlets to bypass the mainstream media, this time around Netanyahu began giving interviews on TV and meeting people face to face all over the country.