As Netanyahu hits 19 years in office, Israel must confront the case for term limits - editorial

As Benjamin Netanyahu marks 19 cumulative years as prime minister, this editorial argues Israel must seriously consider adopting term limits. It frames the debate around democratic health, noting that long tenure can breed entitlement and blur the line between leader and state. The piece cites US precedent and recent Hungarian reforms, while acknowledging opposition parties' political motivations. It concludes the burden of proof now falls on those opposing limits.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked 19 full years as Israel's prime minister, across three nonconsecutive stints: 1996 to 1999, 2009 to 2021, and from December 2022 to the present. This editorial argues that this milestone forces Israel to confront the question of whether term limits are necessary for democratic health. The piece acknowledges that Netanyahu's longevity is an impressive political achievement, but questions whether it is healthy for one leader to remain in charge for so long. It notes that democracies place limits on majority rule not to thwart the people's will but to preserve the system through which it is expressed. The editorial cites the US 22nd Amendment, ratified after FDR's 12-year tenure, and Hungary's recent constitutional amendment capping prime ministerial service at eight years following Viktor Orbán's 16-year run. It notes that four opposition parties — B'Yachad, Yashar, The Democrats, and Yisrael Beytenu — have all backed limiting the prime minister's tenure, though they have not agreed on a formula. The piece argues that long tenure can breed entitlement and foster the perception that one person is irreplaceable, blurring the democratic distinction between the leader and the state. It also claims term limits would force parties to cultivate new leadership and could serve as a democratic pressure-release valve, reassuring those opposed to the government that renewal at the top will come at a known interval.