Anti-Netanyahu bloc said to weigh direct PM elections to break political deadlock

Parties in the opposition bloc are considering advancing legislation to introduce direct elections for prime minister, in a bid to form a minority government without relying on the support of Arab parties, Hebrew media reports.

The proposal would allow voters to elect the prime minister separately from the government, potentially offering a way out of the political deadlock following Tuesday’s election, in which neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc nor his opponents secured a Knesset majority.

Under such a system, a candidate who wins a direct election for prime minister could theoretically form a minority government without securing a Knesset majority.

Netanyahu himself pushed a similar proposal following the inconclusive March 2021 election, after his own efforts to assemble a coalition had stalled.

Israel’s quasi-constitutional Basic Law: The Government requires a prospective government to win a vote of confidence in the 120-seat Knesset before it can be sworn in. Introducing direct elections would therefore require amending the law, a move requiring the support of at least 61 Knesset members.