JERUSALEM — With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under indictment, Israel’s Supreme Court on Thursday refused to weigh in on whether a prime ministerial candidate charged with serious crimes can be asked to form a new government.

The decision gave Mr. Netanyahu a temporary reprieve ahead of a general election on March 2, and staved off a potential showdown between the government and the judiciary.

The judges appeared to leave open the possibility of revisiting the case if Mr. Netanyahu ends up in a position to form a government after the election.

On Wednesday, in his fight for survival, he took the contentious step of asking Parliament to grant him immunity from prosecution. Mr. Netanyahu is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to be charged with crimes, and the first to run for re-election while under such a serious legal cloud.