DIRECT ELECTIONS

Direct Elections: translation

For a brief period, Israel selected theprime ministerthrough a direct election process, casting a ballot for the prime minister. This replaced the system whereby Israelis voted only for thepolitical partyof their choice, and the mandate to form a government was awarded by thepresidentto the leader of usually the largest party in theKnesset. The direct election process was utilized only in the 1996, 1999, and 2001 elections.