Israel's embattled premier
Benjamin Netanyahu faced a challenge Thursday for the leadership of his Likud party from a longtime rival, former interior minister Gideon Saar.
![Israels indicted Netanyahu faces party leadership challenge](http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/b13233b507b50e69bbd826fb1c169f64a4b03325.jpg)
Likud's roughly 116,000 eligible voters have until 11 pm (2100 GMT) to choose between Netanyahu and Saar, with the result expected by early Friday morning.
A defeat for Netanyahu, 70, would be a shock, but even a relatively close result could weaken his influence over the conservative party he has dominated for 20 years.