Israeli lawmakers eye direct vote for prime minister as way out of gridlock

(Israel Hayom via JNS) — The Shas Party is pushing for a vote to reform Israel’s electoral system to enable a special election for prime minister, Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Sunday. The plan was the result of a meeting between Shas leader Aryeh Deri and Yamina leader Naftali Bennett, according to the report.

The idea behind the initiative is that the special vote would give Israel a way out of the political stalemate that resulted from the March 23 elections — Israel’s fourth general elections in two years.

According to the Channel 12 report, Netanyahu has lent his support to the special...