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 say, Report informs referring to The Times of Israel.

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.