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Reference.org
Prime Minister of Israel
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<p>The prime minister of Israel is the <a href="/facts/Head_of_government/eHYPvGWL">head of government</a> and chief executive of the <a href="/facts/Israel/dEe3IcaY">State of Israel</a>. </p><p>Israel is a parliamentary republic with a <a href="/facts/President_of_Israel/KwVP7Dnt">president</a> as the <a href="/facts/Head_of_state/U2QzdE4a">head of state</a>. The president's powers are largely ceremonial, while the prime minister holds the executive power. The official residence of the prime minister, <i><a href="/facts/Beit_Aghion/2TqDVS9V">Beit Aghion</a>,</i> is in <a href="/facts/Jerusalem/PKJ8LT0Y">Jerusalem</a>. The current prime minister is <a href="/facts/Benjamin_Netanyahu/581DW7MB">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> of <a href="/facts/Likud/sXEchBMf">Likud</a>, <a href="/facts/List_of_prime_ministers_of_Israel/vKseoHpV">the ninth person to hold the position</a> (excluding caretakers). </p><p>Following an election, the president nominates a member of the <a href="/facts/Knesset/vNAUyDAu">Knesset</a> to become prime minister after asking party leaders whom they support for the position. The first candidate the president nominates has 28 days to form a viable government that can command a majority in the Knesset. He then presents a government platform and must receive a vote of confidence from the Knesset to take office. In practice, the prime minister is usually the leader of the largest party in the governing coalition. Since it is all but impossible for one party to win a majority in the Knesset, all Israeli governments have been coalitions between two or more parties. Between 1996 and 2001, the prime minister was directly elected, separately from the Knesset. </p><p>The prime minister's position is greatly enhanced compared to his counterparts in other parliamentary republics because he is both <i>de jure</i> and <i>de facto</i> chief executive. This is because <a href="/facts/Basic_Laws_of_Israel/rAtWdYhl">Basic Law: The Government</a> explicitly vests executive power in the <a href="/facts/Cabinet_of_Israel/g3azkmGs">Government</a>, of which the prime minister is the leader. In most other parliamentary republics, the president is at least nominal chief executive, while usually required by convention to act on the advice of the cabinet. </p>