Majority of Israeli Public Backs Move to Direct Presidential Elections

Wednesday, 19 February 2013, Israel Democracy Institute, 4 Pinsker St., Jerusalem - Israel Army Radio reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to extend President Peres’s term by one year and to make the election of Israel’s next President a decision of the public instead of the Knesset. According to the Israel Democracy Institute – Tel Aviv University Peace Index released on 4 February 2014, the public is solidly in favor of the move.

Fifty-nine percent of Israeli Jews would prefer that the president be elected by the public, 20% would prefer that the president be elected by a public council made up of luminaries from various fields, and 16% would prefer that the president be elected by the Knesset as is done today. A majority or plurality of all political camps prefers election by the public including 62% of the right, 59% of the center, and 49% of the left.

For more information, contact:
Yehoshua Oz
Director of International Communications
press@idi.org.il
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