Netanyahu no longer sees any chance of forming a government, although he still intends to maintain his mandate to form a government, which ends on May 4, his associates said. Instead, he would seek a direct election for prime minister, which will pass if Yamina supports it, Netanyahu said. “Netanyahu knows our address if he wants to form a government,” Ra’am MK Saeed Alharomi told The Jerusalem Post. Netanyahu met on Tuesday with Smotrich and urged him to back the bill for the direct election of prime minister submitted by Shas MKs. Lapid condemned Netanyahu’s call for a direct election, calling it a “stalling tactic” and that Israel does not need another election.
