Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Yamina leader Naftali Bennett on Tuesday to support legislation that would establish direct elections for the prime minister.
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"He should announce tonight that he supports the bill," Netanyahu said at the conclusion of a press conference with Health Minister Yuli Edelstein.
Netanyahu accused Bennett of "preventing the establishment of a right-wing government" and "wanting to be prime minister because of personal ambition."
"There is a solution to the political impasse. The solution is a direct election for the prime minister, to allow the public who they want to lead the country," Netanyahu said.
"The last election proved that the public wants a right-wing government. In the Knesset there are 65 clear right-wing mandates, and the only reason we can't form a right-wing government now is because of personal, not ideological, issues. Therefore, there are two possibilities: Either form a left-wing government with a right-wing fig leaf – with Meretz, the Joint Arab List, and labor – which goes against the will of the voters and against Bennett and Gideon Sa'ar's commitments.
"The second option is to form a stable right-wing government for four years after a snap election for prime minister, because the public will choose who the next prime minister will be. We wouldn't need to dissolve the Knesset or hold a fifth [parliamentary] election. We need a rapid referendum and to allow the people to decide who will be prime minister. I will accept any result and I hope that others will, as well," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said a referendum vote for prime minister could be held "immediately," and depended on one person – Naftali Bennett.
"If Bennett supports the bill, it will have a majority. There is no reason for him not to support it. He made a commitment to a right-wing government and promised not to join Yair Lapid and the Left. I met with him a few times and I offered him a senior position in the cabinet. Unfortunately, even though I was given a mandate by the president to form a government, Bennett is simultaneously negotiations to establish a left-wing government," Netanyahu said.
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"This means that only because of a personal ambition to become prime minister with seven mandates, Bennett is not allowing us to discharge our duty and form a stable right-wing government. We saw it [Monday] night, as well, when Yamina voted against the Right in the Knesset. If Bennett truly wants a right-wing government, he should announce today that he supports a direct vote for prime minister, and we'll get out of this mess," Netanyahu continued.
The prime minister went on to say that there was no need to form a government that would include the Islamist party Ra'am.
Meanwhile, Ra'am, will not support Netanyahu's push for direct elections for the premiership, Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday.
Ra'am had reportedly soured on supporting Netanyahu's bid for direct elections in response to his rhetoric about the possibility of the party joining the next government.
Party leader MK Mansour Abbas has been careful not to publicly endorse any political camp following Israel's legislative elections on March 23, stating repeatedly that he will only back the politician best capable of addressing problems currently plaguing the Arab-Israeli community.
i24NEWS contributed to this report
