Prime Minister Netanyahu
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Netanyahu promised in 1997: 'I'll only serve as PM for two terms'
'If you don't get it done in your first term, you might get it done in your second term, but you don't need any more than that,' the candidate for prime minister said ahead of the elections.
A short video that has gone viral on Facebook over the past two days shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, before being elected to the premiership for the first time, declaring he would not serve more than two terms in office.
The video, which garnered thousands of shares on social media, is from journalist Dan Shilon's talk show in 1997. In it, Shilon turns to Netanyahu and asks him: "How long do you want to be prime minister? Four years, 8 years, 12 years, or until the end of time?"
Netanyahu on Dan Shilon's talk show in 1997 (ערוץ 2)
Netanyahu responds with a smile, "I have an answer for you that is set in stone. I was one of those who initiated and promoted the law to vote directly for the prime minister, and I asked to include in it a clause that says a prime minister would not be able to hold the position for longer than two terms."
"If you don't get it done in your first term, you might get it done in your second term, but you don't need any more than that," he added. "Do what you need to do and then go home in the political sense."
Netanyahu, who is about to break first prime minister David Ben-Gurion's "record" of number of years in the prime minister's office, concluded with: "I'll be very happy, after serving in this position to do other things, and I hope I'm able to."
