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Netanyahu to continue heading Israel's ruling party

Xinhua, January 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Israel's ruling Likud party decided Wednesday to cancel its primaries and declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as its head.

Netanyahu was the only contender in the party's leadership election after he pushed for approval of Feb. 23 primaries, less than a year after Israel's last general elections.

A statement by the Likud's court said Netanyahu will continue to hold his position as the party's head, without holding the primaries. The move was said to save Likud about four million shekels (about one million U.S. dollars), for the cost of the primaries.

The list of candidates was closed on Sunday, without other contenders registered.

Netanyahu has been criticized for not halting four months of Palestinian knife, car-ramming, and shooting attacks.

His wife was recently questioned by the police in an investigation over accusations that the couple had used public funds for personal spending.

Netanyahu has been the Likud's leader since 2005. On March 17, 2015, he won a landslide victory over the Zionist Union opposition party, obtaining 30 seats in the 120-seat parliament. Endit