Israel, December 30, 2019 — cyberinktimes.com — Benjamin Netanyahu’s landslide win in the Likud primary on December 26, 2019, was not a surprise to many in Israeli politics. The prime minister captured 72 percent of the vote, securing 41,792 ballots against Gideon Saar’s 15,885. Saar conceded.
But the real story is not the numbers. It is how Netanyahu got here — and what this means for a leader facing bribery and corruption indictments.
Netanyahu has led Likud for nearly 15 years. That longevity is rare anywhere. In Israel’s fractious political landscape, it is almost unheard of.
His grip on the party has survived multiple elections, coalition collapses, and now criminal charges. The primary result shows that internal party loyalty remains strong.
Members voted for the man, not the legal cloud around him. Part of that loyalty stems from his international profile. Netanyahu has cultivated close ties with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
These relationships give him an image as a veteran statesman — someone who can stand on the world stage and deliver for Israel. For Likud voters, that matters more than a courtroom battle. The primary itself was a low-turnout affair.
Only party members voted. Netanyahu campaigned hard in the weeks before, using online appeals and small assemblies to rally his base.
He urged members to cast their ballots. The strategy worked. His opponent, Saar, never matched that intensity.
Netanyahu called the outcome a “giant victory” for himself and the party. He framed it as a stepping stone.
“With God and with your help, I will lead the Likud to a big victory in the upcoming elections and continue to lead the State of Israel to unprecedented achievements,” he said. That is a man looking forward, not backward. The corruption charges have not gone away.
They are real. Netanyahu faces indictments for bribery and breach of trust. But inside Likud, the charges have not eroded his support.
If anything, they may have hardened it. Some members see the legal cases as a political attack.
The primary result suggests the party is willing to ride out the legal storm with him. This sets up a tense general election. Israel has been stuck in a cycle of inconclusive votes.
No party has been able to form a stable coalition. Netanyahu’s victory in the primary means he will lead Likud into the next national ballot.
That gives him a chance to break the deadlock — or extend it. His opponents outside Likud are watching closely. They had hoped the corruption charges would weaken him.
Instead, he consolidated power inside his own party. That is a problem for them. Netanyahu is a skilled campaigner.
He has survived political crises before. The primary win gives him momentum.
The vote also sends a message to the wider Israeli public. Likud members chose a leader under indictment over a challenger with no legal baggage. That choice reflects a deeper calculation: loyalty, stability, and the belief that Netanyahu is the party’s best bet for governing.
Whether that bet pays off is an open question. For now, Netanyahu is in control.
The primary was a test. He passed it. The next test — the general election — will be harder.
But he has the party behind him. And in Israeli politics, that is half the battle.
