How do you choose a prime minister in Israel? After elections in Israel, you vote not directly for the prime minister, but for the parties in the Knesset. Even if a party takes first place, its leader will not necessarily become the prime minister. What is more important is whether the candidate can gain the support of deputies and gain the trust of the Knesset. ⁉ Who orders the assembly of the government? After the official results, the president met with the parties that entered the Knesset. The president does not have to choose the leader of the largest party. It looks at who has a real chance of forming a coalition, so that party #1 can remain in opposition, and the leader of party #2 can become prime minister if he reaches a better deal with others. ⁉ How much time do you have for negotiations? The first candidate is given 28 days. The president can add up to 14 more days. At this stage, the parties agree: who will join the government, what the main policy directions will be, who will receive ministerial positions. If the candidate failed to form a government or did not receive the Knesset's trust, the attempt ends. So the president can delegate it to another deputy within 3 days. The second candidate gets 28 days, and the period cannot be extended. If the second fails, the members of the Knesset can propose a candidate themselves. For this, at least 61 deputies must ask the president in writing to entrust the formation of the government to a certain person. The last attempt is given 14 days. If it fails, the Knesset is dissolved. New elections must be held within 90 days. ⁉ Is it necessary to have 61 deputies in the coalition? The Knesset has 120 seats, so 61 is a majority. Usually the government tries to collect 61 votes or more. The decision is made by the majority of voters. Avoidance does not count. For example: 60 - "for", 55 - "against", 5 abstained. The government will win confidence, although it does not have 61 deputies of its own. ⁉ Is it possible to simply overthrow the government? not. There is a constructive vote of no confidence in Israel.