Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu, voted at noon (Wednesday) in the Likud primaries at the Tel Aviv exhibition grounds polling station.

"Today is a holiday for the State of Israel and the Likud Party - the party at the center of the nationalist camp," Netanyahu said. "National pride, fixing the economy, and all the other issues that only a stable government can ensure – are possible only with a large Likud.”

Netanyahu went on to explain that in order to avoid repeated rounds of elections like in 2020-21, the Likud Party will have to garner a large number of seats on voting day, just under three months from now, on November 1.

A comfortable majority, something that was not achieved in the previous two years, will allow the Likud to establish a stable coalition government. “I am confident,” he went on, “that we will put together a high quality Likud team. There are talented people who know the job of leading the country. There are thousands of Likud members voting for the candidates they want to see in the Knesset, and I'm sure they'll make the right choice."

Netanyahu criticized the online primaries method used in the other parties. "With us it is impossible to cheat on a computer because there is no computer. Manual counting, checking. We want a transparent manual check."

About 140,000 Likud members have already come out to polling stations to choose the party's list for the Knesset in the upcoming elections. However, as of 13:00, that comprises a voting rate of only 16%.

"So far, we don't have the best turnout and I want all of the voters to come. I want a high turnout. Don't stay at home; don't go to the beach; go exercise your right to vote. In all the other parties decisions are made by the chairman."

Last night, the Tel Aviv District Court rejected the candidacy of Dudu Laniado, who was previously convicted of burglary and assault. Netanyahu requested members not vote for Laniado, but for what he referred to as "candidates who will not cause damage to the Likud movement."

Because the Likud primaries being held at polling stations and not electronically, the results are expected to be announced only tomorrow morning.