Direct Election for Prime Minister Recommended as Solution for Israel

After failing to field a coalition of sixty-one or more seats in Israel’s parliament last April – a second election was slated for September. When that unprecedented second election similarly left the nation without a government, politicians scrambled to figure what the next step would be. Most surprising was not the continued razor-thin margin, but that a third election was being touted as the way out of the problem. Two expressions seemed to have no Hebrew equivalent: “run-off,” “term-limits,” and “direct election.” But with the deadline for a decision due by Wednesday and the nation being totally clear that it has no interest in another costly round of indecisive results, suggestions for alternative courses of action are again being heard. Netanyahu himself has come up with one we’ve heard frequently of late: direct election of the prime minister. [Keep in mind that the prime minister is the head of the party that holds the largest number of seats in parliament and has the ability to form a coalition of 60+ seats.] The PM’s inspiration came more in the nature of a challenge to the rival Blue and White bloc than as a suggestion. He said, “In recent weeks I made a big concession. I made every effort to set up a unity government and avoid an unnecessary election. I updated Benny Gantz and others in Kahol Lavan on very sensitive political and intelligence issues… and yet they are not placing the national interests at the top of their priorities. Instead they are prioritizing Yair Lapid’s personal fantasy of becoming prime minister.”