The 2002 Likud leadership election was held on 28 November 2002 to elect the leader of the Likud party. Incumbent prime minister and party leader Ariel Sharon was reelected, fending off a challenge from former prime minister and party leader Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as a lesser challenge from Moshe Feiglin.
Candidates
- Moshe Feiglin, co-founder of the Manhigut movement
- Benjamin Netanyahu, incumbent minister of foreign affairs, former prime minister (1996–1999), former Likud party leader (1993–1999)
- Ariel Sharon, incumbent prime minister and Likud party leader
Campaign
The election was held ahead of the 2003 Israeli legislative election, a snap election that Sharon had called as prime minister. While Sharon enjoyed high approval among the general public, his move towards the political center had offput many in they party's right-wing base, making him appear vulnerable in the party's leadership election. Three hours after he announced the snap election, former prime minister and party leader Benjamin Netanyahu declared his candidacy for the leadership election.2
Originally, Netanyahu stated that he planned to campaign on the economy. But he pivoted quickly to an all-out attack on Sharon's potential plans for pursuing a two-state solution. Sharon, on the other hand, campaigned, in part, by contrasting his broad electoral success in the 2001 Israeli prime ministerial election with Netanyahu's narrow 1996 victory and his broad 1999 loss.3
Days before the vote, a poll of Likud members projected that Sharon would defeat Netanyahu by 16 or 18 percent.4
Electorate
The leadership election was open to the party's general membership, which, at the time, numbered at 305,000.5
Result
2002 Likud leadership election6| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Likud | Ariel Sharon (incumbent) | 78,740 | 55.88 | |
| Likud | Benjamin Netanyahu | 56,480 | 40.08 | |
| Likud | Moshe Feiglin | 4,870 | 3.46 | |
| Turnout | 46.24 | |||
See also
References
Kenig, Ofer (2009). "Democratizing Party Leadership Selection in Israel: A Balance Sheet". Israel Studies Forum. 24 (1): 62–81. ISSN 1557-2455. JSTOR 41805011. Retrieved 25 January 2022. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41805011 ↩
Goodspeed, Peter (6 November 2002). "Sharon calls snap election, leadership race". National Post. Retrieved 5 November 2022 – via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/514031184 ↩
Kalman, Matthew (25 November 2002). "Likud's big face-off". The Gazette. Southam News. Retrieved 5 November 2022 – via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/427039722 ↩
Kalman, Matthew (25 November 2002). "Likud's big face-off". The Gazette. Southam News. Retrieved 5 November 2022 – via Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/image/427039722 ↩
Kenig, Ofer (2009). "Democratizing Party Leadership Selection in Israel: A Balance Sheet". Israel Studies Forum. 24 (1): 62–81. ISSN 1557-2455. JSTOR 41805011. Retrieved 25 January 2022. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41805011 ↩
Bahur, Diana (29 November 2002). "ניצחון מוחץ לשרון בפריימריס". ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 24 November 2022. https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2281254,00.html ↩