News from January 6 to January 12
Israeli election update
Hey everyone. This week was pretty quiet as far as Jewish things go, so I’m only going to outline one news item and provide some links. As always, if you have any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to reach out at newsofthejews@gmail.com
Israeli election update:
Does Israel have a government yet? No.
What’s new? The Knesset legal adviser Eyal Yinon ruled that the Knesset Speaker, Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, cannot stop the creation of a “house committee.” As you may recall from last week’s newsletter, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to seek immunity in his criminal cases because the Knesset cannot reach a decision on immunity until it forms a house committee. Since there is no government right now, there is no house committee to debate his immunity. Thus, he figured that his trial would not begin until after the election in March.
How does the ruling change things? When Yinon decided that Edelstein couldn’t prevent the creation of a house committee, he completely blew up Netanyahu’s plans. If the Knesset can form a house committee without a governing coalition, then it can quickly reject Netanyahu’s immunity request and begin the trial. Now, Netanyahu will likely have to deal with bad press from his trial during his campaign.
If there aren’t enough votes for a coalition, how are there enough votes for a house committee? As I mentioned last week, Avigdor Liberman (and his party Yisrael Beiteinu) announced that he would support the creation of a house committee, even though he hasn’t supported Blue and White or Likud in their coalition bids. Liberman also said that Netanyahu is so desperate for immunity that he would form a coalition with Hamas if it meant protection from the law. Yikes.
What’s next? Netanyahu still might be able to delay the trial. Since Yinon’s wife was on the legal team that worked on Netanyahu’s indictment, Yinon has said that he will not issue rulings that affect the actual immunity debate. While Yinon ruled that the Knesset could form a house committee, Likud MKs are hoping that another legal opinion is required to establish its authority in dealing with immunity matters. If it does, Yinon may not be able to make a ruling, complicating the process.
Anything else? Two left-wing parties, Labor and Meretz, have agreed in principle to run on a joint slate in the March elections. Their unification will guarantee that they both pass the threshold of votes required to enter the Knesset.
Further reading: https://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-petitions-high-court-against-knesset-lawyer-ruling-on-pms-immunity-panel/
Links:
Israeli skier wins first-ever medal at Winter Youth Olympics
Decade after 1st interception, new Iron Dome boasts 100% success rate in trials
Israeli Intel Helped the United States to Take Out Soleimani, Report Says
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