Israel’s Government Structure: Branches and Dynamics
Understanding Israel’s Parliamentary System
In Israel’s parliamentary system, after parliamentary elections, the Head of State selects the party leader believed to be most able to form a government as the Prime Minister. Due to the multitude of parties in Israel, no single party has ever achieved a majority sufficient to govern for a full four-year term.
The Failed Semi-Parliamentary Experiment (1996-2000)
An experiment with a semi-parliamentary system was conducted between 1996 and 2000, where elections were held to choose the Prime Minister (who held no special power). In practice, Israeli citizens did not vote in a utilitarian way in 1996 (to try to give a wide majority of votes to a single candidate), resulting in no candidate for Prime Minister gaining sufficient popular support. This experiment ultimately did not work.
The Knesset: Israel’s Legislative Power
The Knesset is the legislative branch of Israel’s government. It is Israel’s unicameral legislature, seated in Jerusalem. Its 120 members are elected to four-year terms through party-list proportional representation. The Knesset’s responsibilities include:
- Enacting laws
- Supervising government activities
- Electing or removing the President of the State
The Knesset also elects the Head of State in this parliamentary republic, and the Prime Minister is elected by the Parliament.
The President of Israel: Roles and Powers
The President of the State is the de jure head of state of Israel. This position is largely apolitical and ceremonial, and is not considered a part of any government branch.
Ceremonial Duties of the President
The President’s ceremonial roles include:
- Signing every law and international or bilateral treaty
- Ceremonially appointing the Prime Minister
- Confirming and endorsing the credentials of ambassadors
- Receiving the credentials of foreign diplomats
Key Functions of the President
The President also has several important functions within the government:
- The President is the only government official with the power to pardon or commute prisoners.
- The President appoints the Governor of the Bank of Israel, the president of the national emergency relief service, and the members and leaders of several institutions.
- The President also ceremonially appoints judges to their posts after their selection.
The Prime Minister and Coalition Government
The Prime Minister is ceremonially appointed by the President upon the recommendation of party representatives in the Knesset. Israeli politics is characterized by many different parties, and no single party has ever won a parliamentary majority.
Prime Minister Appointment and Term
Prime Ministers are expected to serve a four-year term, which may be shortened by a vote of no confidence and the formation of a new government by a replacement candidate. If a replacement candidate cannot form a new government, the Knesset is dissolved, and new elections are held. Once confirmed by a simple parliamentary majority, the new Prime Minister has 45 days to fill cabinet positions.
Challenges of Coalition Building
The Prime Minister is therefore obligated to form a coalition government to cobble together the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority. This requires offering cabinet positions and other incentives to members of smaller coalition partners who provide the necessary votes for a majority. These smaller parties, often on the periphery of Israeli politics, use this influence to further their political agendas, leaving the Prime Minister vulnerable to their demands and creating a system where small, often single-issue parties wield disproportionate amounts of influence.
Israel’s Judicial System
The legislative and executive powers are separated from the Judicial branch of government, which includes both secular and religious courts. All judges are civil servants, required to uphold general law, and the High Court of Justice (HCJ) is the final appeals court for all secular and religious courts. The HCJ in Israel is active and tends toward greater intervention than other countries’ Supreme Courts because Israel does not have a constitution.