Anti-Netanyahu Coalition Considers Direct Election of Prime Minister in Israel

Israel’s opposition parties are planning to introduce a bill for a direct mayoral-style prime ministerial election in an effort to resolve the severe political deadlock resulting from no coalition securing a single majority in the recent general elections. This information has surfaced, citing Hebrew media sources.

Results from Tuesday’s election show that neither the right-wing coalition led by incumbent PM Benjamin Netanyahu nor the opposition bloc holds the required majority of 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset (Israeli Parliament). Under current conditions, it has become impossible for the opposition coalition to form a government without the support of Arab parties. In this situation, the proposal for direct prime ministerial elections is being considered to pave the way for a minority government without relying on Arab parties.

Under this new proposal, voters would be able to cast a separate, direct vote for their preferred prime minister alongside the parliamentary general election. Consequently, a directly elected prime minister would theoretically be capable of forming a minority government, even without an absolute majority in the Knesset.

Political analysts describe the opposition’s initiative as striking, given that Netanyahu himself introduced a virtually identical proposal following the inconclusive election in March 2021 when he failed to form a coalition.

However, implementing this initiative faces significant hurdles. Under Israel’s constitutional framework, ‘Basic Law: The Government,’ any new government must win a vote of confidence from a majority of the 120 Knesset members before taking office. Therefore, introducing a direct prime ministerial election system requires a major amendment to this fundamental law, which demands the support of at least 61 Knesset members to pass.