Netanyahu Could Remain Interim PM If No Government Formed

Political commentator Eliraz Sade suggested that if Israel faces another round of elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could remain in his interim role if no candidate secures the necessary support to form a government. Sade argued that the size of a party's mandate is less important than the number of Knesset members who recommend its leader for prime minister. He cited the example of the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid government, which formed despite neither party being the largest. Sade believes that if a coalition cannot be formed, Netanyahu would leverage his legal right to remain interim prime minister, preventing rivals like Benny Gantz or Gadi Eisenkot from taking the helm. He also posited that Eisenkot might fade in subsequent elections, similar to Gantz, suggesting that incumbent prime ministers have an advantage in maintaining victory, especially with a perceived right-wing majority in the current political landscape. Sade concluded that the next prime minister might emerge from the right, rather than opposing it.