LEAD: Netanyahu triumphs in party leadership contest

Feb 1, 2012, 11:28 GMT

Tel Aviv - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won a landslide victory in the race for the leadership of his ruling Likud party, near final results of the primary contest showed Wednesday.

With around 85 per cent of the votes counted, Netanyahu was polling at about 75 per cent, compared with 25 per cent for the only other challenger, hardline West Bank settler Moshe Feiglin.

Feiglin, who heads a faction inside Likud called 'Jewish Leadership,' conceded the contest early Wednesday, but said the results entrenched his standing in the party, with one out of every four Likud members supporting 'the Jewish, national and proud way.'

Netanyahu, for his part, said his victory vindicated his political positions, arguing that 'the real Likud' won.

Opposition politicians, however, dismissed the differences between the two men, with the main opposition party, Kadima, saying that Likud was 'holding Israel's citizens hostage' with its 'extreme policies.'

An unofficial count broadcast by Israel Radio said some 48 per cent of Likud's 125,000 eligible members voted in Tuesday's party balloting.

In the previous Likud leadership contest, in August 2007, Netanyahu defeated Feiglin by 73.2 per cent to 23.4 per cent.

Despite speculation that he might call early elections following the latest leadership contest, Netanyahu did not mention bringing the vote forward from its 2013 scheduled date in his victory speech.

Recent surveys show that Netanyahu would lead Likud to victory if a general election were held now.