It would be silly to think that after doing something four times, doing it a fifth time the same way will lead to different results. A direct election for prime minister is a risk for all sides. But to prevent a fifth general election, we need to try a different approach. This is the least politicians from all sides could do for the citizens, who are already tired of endless elections, non-functioning governments, and political and ideological sellouts and go along with this bizarre, drawn-out process.
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Direct elections are a risk for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because in each of the recent elections, he has had the support of less than half of the voters. The opposing camp, three times under Benny Gantz and once under Yair Lapid, won more. Therefore, the government has thus far avoided supporting the direct election option. But this time, even he realizes that the political impasse demands a direct appeal to the people, so he allowed Shas leader Arye Deri to present a bill that would allow for one.
It would be riskier for Netanyahu if he were competing against a blank ballot. The "Anyone but Bibi" camp secured a majority in parliament, but couldn't unite around a leader. In a direct election, every cam would need to put up a candidate to run against him. The more candidates there are, the most complicated it will be.
A direction election for prime minister doesn't guarantee the winner a coalition. The map of mandates won't change, because there would be an additional election for the Knesset, so everyone could continue to cling to their recalcitrance after that one, too. However, a decision by direct election would allow all of the candidates to climb down. Gideon Sa'ar, Benny Gantz, and others would be able to join a Netanyahu government if he were to win. Naftali Bennett, United Torah Judaism, and Shas could leave if he lost.
Likud MK Shlomo Karhi's proposed upgrade to the bill, which would allow 12 more MKs to join the winning side, should be examined. In a situation like that, any winner would be able to form a coalition without the need to court legislators from another camp or "hunt" defectors, a tactic that usually results in the creation of fluff jobs and a retreat from values.
The biggest drawback is the one presented by Deri, who is a Netanyahu man. Any discussion about changing the rules of the game makes everyone else suspicious, and they rush to torpedo any initiative. The problem is that there is no neutral entity in the political system that would be considered a moderate broker. Even the president has become a fully politicized player.
So once again, the ball is in the hands of Yamina leader Naftali Bennett. He hasn't decided where he stands, and what his overarching concerns are. Joining a Netanyahu government in exchange for slightly less than half his kingdom, or joining a government with Lapid and the Left, and immediately becoming prime minister. His decision about a direct election for prime minister could indicate which way he is leaning. If he opposes the idea, it's possible that this could be an indication that he is inclined toward the Left. Bennett has promised that above all, he intends to work to prevent yet another election. Now we'll see how much he means that.
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