| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 44.46% | ||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||
|
A leadership election was held by the Likud party on 19 December 2005. [1] former prime minister and party leader Benjamin Netanyahu [2] defeated Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom, [3] as well as candidates Moshe Feiglin and Israel Katz. [1]
The previous leader of Likud was Ariel Sharon, then the Prime Minister of Israel. Sharon was first elected to lead Likud in September 1999, following Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation, and to the premiership in 2001. Sharon was subsequently re-elected as leader in 2002, defeating Netanyahu, and won the general election held later that year. [4] Sharon appointed Netanyahu as the Minister of Finance in March 2003. [5]
That year, Sharon made plans for a unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip. [4] The plan faced significant opposition from within Likud. in a party referendum held in May 2004, 59.5% of voting members opposed the plan, while 39.7% supported it. Turnout stood at 51.6% of all registered members of Likud. [6] The plan was then rejected a second time by the party's central committee, [7] and subsequently went to a vote in the Knesset in October, where several members of Likud, including Netanyahu, conditioned the implementation of the plan on a national referendum. They subsequently backed down, allowing the vote to be passed in an event later known as the "Night of the Rabbits". [8] After the cabinet voted to begin the disengagement process in August 2005, Netanyahu resigned as Minister of Finance. [9] Shortly thereafter, Uzi Landau announced his intention to run for the party's leadership. [10]
In November 2005, Sharon resigned from the leadership of Likud and as prime Minister and founded a new party, Kadima. he was joined by members of Likud and Labor, [11] [12] including Shimon Peres, who was ousted as leader of the Labor party several weeks prior. [13] Following Sharon's resignation, Tzachi Hanegbi, who served as chairman of Likud's central committee, became the party's interim leader, [14] [15] and President Moshe Katsav scheduled a new election for March 2006. [16] On 24 November, the central committee announced the first round of the leadership election would be held on 19 December, with a potential second round scheduled for 26 December. [17] Netanyahu formally announced his intention to run that same day, [18] Silvan Shalom did so on 29 November, and Moshe Feiglin did on 30 November. [19] Israel Katz and Shaul Mofaz also announced their intention to run. [20] [17]
Hanegbi left Likud and joined Kadima on 7 December, [21] and was provisionally replaced by a council of five Likud ministers led by Minister of Health Dan Naveh, [22] and additionally including Education Minister Limor Livnat, as well as Gideon Sa'ar, Michael Eitan and Likud Director General Arik Brami. [23]
Netanyahu campaigned on his financial and security policies, emphasizing his tenure as the Minister of Finance, [18] and his opposition to Sharon's disengagement plan, criticizing the new Kadima party and referring to them as "Labor B". [24] following Landau's withdrawal from the race, Netanyahu stated that he would seek to recruit qualified candidates to the party's electoral list ahead of the general election. [24] the day before the primary was held, he argued that he was the most electable candidate, and further criticized Sharon and Labor leader Amir Peretz for their financial policies and positions on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. [25]
Shalom campaigned against Mofaz and Netanyahu, arguing that he was more electable. [26] he additionally advocated for peace talks with the Palestinians, [27] and criticized Netanyahu's economic policies. [28]
Feiglin's campaign attempted to appeal to secular voters. He ran on a platform he referred to as 'Family, Education, Security and Justice'. aiming to preserve traditional family values, provide tax exemptions to married couples, include studies of Jewish history and identity in the national curriculum, withdraw from the Oslo Accords and impose Israeli sovereignty on the West Bank. [19] [29] he additionally proposed that Likud form an electoral list with smaller right-wing parties. [30]
Landau campaigned on his opposition to the disengagement plan, [10] and like Feiglin, proposed the formation of an electoral list between Likud and smaller right-wing parties, [31] before withdrawing from the race on 5 December and endorsing Netanyahu. [32]
Mofaz, who announced his intention to run on November 21, [33] campaigned against Netanyahu, referring to him as "a Cream Child from Rehavia who hurt the poor", and criticized his economic policies, [28] while campaigning on a pledge to narrow the wealth gap, expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank while negotiating with the Palestinian state [34] [35] and to reform education. [36] He additionally pledged to keep Likud in Sharon's government until after the 2006 election. [37] Mofaz later withdrew from the race, left Likud and joined Kadima on 11 December. [38]
128,347 Members of Likud were eligible to vote. [25]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Likud | Benjamin Netanyahu | 44.4% | ||
Likud | Silvan Shalom | 33% | ||
Likud | Moshe Feiglin | 12.4% | ||
Likud | Israel Katz | 8.7% | ||
Turnout | 44.6% |
Silvan Shalom conceded the election after initial results showed a Netanyahu victory. Feiglin expressed satisfaction with the results, arguing they indicated significant growth in his support within Likud. [47] following the primary, all remaining Likud Ministers resigned from the government by the end of January 2006. [48] on 4 January, Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke that left him in a permanent coma until his death in 2014. [49] [50] he was replaced as prime minister by Ehud Olmert, who led the party through the general election in March. [51]
Likud won 12 seats in the March election, [51] less than a third of the 38 seats the party won in 2003. [52] following the election, Olmert formed a new government, which did not include Likud. [51] Netanyahu was re-elected as leader of Likud in 2007, and later won the 2009 election, which resulted in him forming a government and becoming the prime minister. [53]
Likud, officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing parties. Likud's landslide victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had lost power. In addition, it was the first time in Israel that a right-wing party won the plurality of the votes. After ruling the country for most of the 1980s, the party lost the Knesset election in 1992. Likud's candidate Benjamin Netanyahu won the vote for Prime Minister in 1996 and was given the task of forming a government after the 1996 elections. Netanyahu's government fell apart after a vote of no confidence, which led to elections being called in 1999 and Likud losing power to the One Israel coalition led by Ehud Barak.
Zion Silvan Shalom is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1992 and 2015. He held several prominent ministerial positions, including Vice Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. He resigned on 24 December 2015 following allegations of sexual harassment. Later on, the Attorney-General closed this investigation and said these claims were unsubstantiated.
Kadima was a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely following the implementation of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan in August 2005, and was soon joined by like-minded Labor politicians.
Meir Sheetrit is an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset in two spells for Likud between 1981 and 1988, and again from 1992 until 2005, when he joined Kadima. He remained a Knesset member for Kadima until joining Hatnuah in 2012, for whom he served until 2015. He also held several ministerial posts, including being Minister of the Interior, Minister of Housing & Construction, Minister of Finance, Minister of Justice, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Education, Culture & Sport. He was also a candidate for President of Israel in 2014.
Uzi Landau is an Israeli politician and systems analyst. He served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1984 and 2006, and for Yisrael Beiteinu between 2009 and 2015. He also held several ministerial posts, including Minister of Public Security, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Minister of Energy and Water Resources and Minister of Tourism.
Ayoob Kara is an Israeli Druze politician. He has served as a member of the Knesset for Likud in four spells between 1999 and 2021, and as Minister of Communications.
Yuli-Yoel Edelstein is an Israeli politician who served as Minister of Health from 2020 to 2021. One of the most prominent refuseniks in the Soviet Union, he was the 16th Speaker of the Knesset from 2013 until his resignation on 25 March 2020.
An election for the leadership of Kadima was held on 17 September 2008 as a concession to Kadima's coalition partner, Labour, which had threatened to bring down the government if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert didn't stand aside following police investigations into alleged corruption during his terms as minister and as mayor of Jerusalem.
Israel Katz is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Likud currently serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was a member of the Security Cabinet of Israel. Katz has previously served as Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Intelligence, Minister of Energy and Minister of Finance.
Legislative elections were held in Israel on 10 February 2009 to elect the 120 members of the eighteenth Knesset. These elections became necessary due to the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as leader of the Kadima party, and the failure of his successor, Tzipi Livni, to form a coalition government. Had Olmert remained in office or had Livni formed a coalition government, the elections would have been scheduled for 2010 instead.
This article provides a collection of opinion polls that were conducted relating to the 2009 Israeli legislative election.
The Thirty-second government of Israel, also known as the Second Netanyahu Government, was the largest cabinet in the country's history, in terms of the number of ministers: initially containing 30 ministers and nine deputy ministers, it later added another deputy prime minister as of May 2012 until he resigned in July 2012.
Early legislative elections were held in Israel on 22 January 2013 to elect the 120 members of the nineteenth Knesset. Public debate over the Tal Law had nearly led to early elections in 2012, but they were aborted at the last moment after Kadima briefly joined the government. The elections were later called in early October 2012 after failure to agree on the budget for the 2013 fiscal year.
Polls may not add up to 120 seats due to rounding or omitted parties that dropped out or did not poll consistently.
A leadership election was held by the Likud party on 31 December 2014. It was won by incumbent Prime Minister and leader of Likud Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the run-up to the April 2019 Israeli legislative election, which was held on 9 April, various organisations carried out opinion polling to gauge voting intentions in Israel. Results of such polls are displayed in this article, ranging from the previous legislative election, held on 17 March 2015, to the 2019 election.
A leadership election was held by the Likud party on 15 August 2007. Incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu defeated challengers Moshe Feiglin and Danny Danon by a large majority.
A leadership election was held by the Israeli Labor Party on 9 November 2005. Chairman of the Histadrut Trade union Amir Peretz defeated Deputy Prime Minister and incumbent leader of the party Shimon Peres.
In the run up to the next Israeli legislative election, various organisations are conducting opinion polling to gauge voting intention in Israel during the term of the twenty-fifth Knesset. This article lists the results of such polls.
Shalom Danino is an Israeli businessman and politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud.