Following a round of voting among Likud members, Israel’s former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu won another term at the party’s helm, results published on Wednesday revealed.

With a crushing majority of 73 per cent, Netanyahu surpassed Moshe Feiglin - 23 per cent of the votes and Danny Danon, who didn’t manage to gather more than 3 per cent.

The party elections were marked by a low turnout at polling stations, only 40 per cent of about 100,000 members casting their ballots, Netanyahu fearing that his supporters will not exert their constitutional right.

“The Likud's journey back to the prime minister's office has begun,” the former premier said late Tuesday before the official results were released.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s main opponent Feiglin expressed his confidence that Tuesday’s elections will mark a turning point in the history of Israel.

“This will be remembered as an emotional day in which Israel will return to the people and will no longer be controlled by a leftist minority and politicians on the Right who do their bidding,” he said.

Despite antagonistic images Netanyahu had among his contesters and supporters while occupying the prime minister’s seat, the Likud gained the confidence of most Israelis and its popularity surpasses the one of current premier Ehud Olmert and his party, Kadima.

Even so, general elections in Israel aren’t scheduled to take place in the following years after being held in March, 2006 and Netanyahu’s party is expected to remain in the opposition with little influence until then.