19:00 IL: The Likud primary election comes to an end at 22:00 on Tuesday night, in three hours, and while Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is assured a victory, he fears a major embarrassment. At 19:00, officials reported that voter turnout was a mere 23% and that works in favor of Moshe Feiglin and his Manhigut Yehudit faction.
Feiglin according to many political analysts may earn 25% or more of the vote and that will send a clear message to Mr. Netanyahu and his supporters that the Manhigut Faction is here to stay, an entity to be reckoned with, and likely to be among the MKs in the next Likud Knesset lineup.
Netanyahu has made a number of appeals to “Get out and vote” today, but the cold weather and the expected showers tonight will undoubtedly discourage voters. The 10,000 or more Feiglin supporters however are expected to come out and vote, rain and cold aside, and this will work to further advance the position of the leader of the Likud’s internal opposition faction.
UPDATE: At 20:00, Likud officials report voter turnout holding at 32%. Party officials have decided to extend the voting from 22:00 until 23:00 in light of the poor voter turnout.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Bibi has become an embarrassment to the entire concept of the LIKUD. Feiglin is the only hope to revive the old Likud spirit and bring about a huge turnaround in the coming years. When Moshe Feiglin becomes P.M., everything will iy”h change for the better, b’ezrat HaShem.
I’ve heard of keeping the polls open longer because of HEAVY turnout, never before because of LIGHT turnout! If the turnout is light then surely there’s no need to stay open longer than advertised is there? Unless, of course, party officials, who are supposed to be strictly neutral in this race, are trying to give their guy some help. Perish the thought!
ravizzy if youre an israeli become a likud voter