2002 Likud leadership election

The 2002 Likud leadership election was held on 28 November 2002^[1] 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.

2002 Likud leadership election

← 1999 (Sep) 28 November 2002 2005 →
Turnout	46.24%
Candidate Ariel Sharon Benjamin Netanyahu Moshe Feiglin Party Likud Likud Likud Popular vote 78,740 56,480 4,870 Percentage 55.88% 40.08% 3.46%
Leader before election Ariel Sharon Elected Leader Ariel Sharon

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.^[3]

Electorate

The leadership election was open to the party's general membership, which, at the time, numbered at 305,000.^[1]

Result

2002 Likud leadership election^[4]

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

• 2002 Israeli Labor Party leadership election