Likud members vote for new leader

Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to be the victor

Members of Israel's ruling Likud party voted for a new leader on Monday, with former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu tipped to win the poll.

He faces competition from three other politicians, including foreign minister Silvan Shalom.

The leadership contest comes after the defection of Ariel Sharon, who left the party last month.

Mr Netanyahu, 56, opposed the Sharon-approved pull-out of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip this year.

'Great things'

Mr Shalom is thought to be a relative moderate in the party.

Polling booths opened at 1000 (0800 GMT) to allow nearly 130,000 card-carrying members of the right-wing party to vote for the new party leader.

But turnout was expected to be low.

While voting in Jerusalem, Mr Netanyahu pledged to work with rival Mr Shalom if the latter was successful.

"We will work together and lead the Likud to great things," he said.

Two other right-wingers - Agriculture Minister Israel Katz and Moshe Feiglin - are thought to have little chance of winning the leadership contest.

But they could delay victory for Mr Netanyahu or Mr Shalom if neither of the two can take more than 40% of the vote.

A poll for the Maariv daily newspaper last week found that 45.5% of the Likud party's members expected to vote on Monday will support Mr Netanyahu, while only 22% will back Mr Shalom.

But Likud are currently in third place in opinion polls for the country's forthcoming general election, which will take place next March.