The Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel heads the Government, which is the executive branch of the state. The office has existed since 14 May 1948. Its current rules come from Basic Law: The Government, adopted in 2001 and applied from the 2003 election. After an election, the President gives a Knesset member 28 days, plus up to 14 more, to form a government. The Government takes office only when the Knesset votes confidence in it. The Knesset can remove it only by electing a named replacement with 61 of 120 votes. The prime minister can dissolve the Knesset with the President's consent. The Attorney General must approve any criminal investigation of a prime minister. A law passed on 15 July 2026 makes the Attorney General's opinions non-binding on the Government from 1 January 2027. Fourteen people have held the office. Benjamin Netanyahu has served since 29 December 2022. The next election is on 27 October 2026.
