JERUSALEM, Dec. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu comfortably won the Likud leadership race after getting 47 percent of the votes in the Likud primaries, according to the Channel 1 TV poll released shortly after polling stations closed on Monday evening.

   According to the poll, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom came in second place with 32 percent of the vote, parliament member Moshe Feiglin won 15 percent of the vote, while Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz trailed in fourth place with six percent of the vote.

   Voter turnout was particularly low, with less than 40 percent of 128,000 party members casting their ballots.

   To emerge as the party leader, any one of the four candidates must win at least 40 percent of Monday's vote. Should all candidates garner less than 40 percent, a second leadership primary would be held the following Monday between the top two candidates.

   Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon quit the right-wing Likud and formed centrist Kadima (forward) party on Nov. 21 after Likud hardliners tried to topple him over the controversial withdrawal of  settlers and soldiers from the Gaza Strip in September. Enditem