A broken system: Can Israel fix its electoral rules before its democracy crumbles? - analysis

Analysis piece arguing Israel's electoral system needs reform, including term limits, a higher threshold to reduce sectarian parties, direct elections only under a two-party system, and a constitution. Reforms may need to wait until the Netanyahu vs. anti-Netanyahu battle subsides.

The Jerusalem Post's Yonah Jeremy Bob argues that Israel's electoral system is broken and requires multiple fixes, though some may need to wait until the political rivalry between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's camp and the anti-Netanyahu camp subsides. The first proposed fix is term limits for the prime minister, modeled on the US or French systems, with a decade as the maximum. The article advocates for a higher electoral threshold to reduce the number of sectarian parties, forcing them into larger, national-focused parties like Likud and Yashar. Direct elections for prime minister are suggested only under a two-party system, as the 1999 hybrid experiment led to split voting. The piece also calls for connecting Knesset members to local constituencies to reduce dependence on party leaders, and for a constitution or mini-constitution, referencing Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's January 2025 compromise proposal. Finally, it criticizes the politicization of the Central Elections Committee and the selection of the State Comptroller, urging apolitical professionals to handle key appointments.