Israel‘s Supreme Court has convened to hear a petition on whether an indicted member of parliament can form a new government, a key test case for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to see if he can prolong his political career after elections in March.
If the court decides Netanyahu is ineligible, it could precipitate a constitutional crisis in Israel, and exacerbate the already tenuous ties between the Israeli government and the judiciary.
Netanyahu Indicted, to Face Prosecution in a First in Israel – Palestine Chronicle https://t.co/1JEZayj5hs
— Paul Simoniello (@plsimo01) December 16, 2019
The court is not expected to hand down an immediate ruling on Tuesday and may ask for a full panel of the court to convene on the matter. Either way, it was wading into uncharted territory.
Israeli law requires Cabinet ministers and mayors to resign if indicted but does not specify so for a sitting prime minister.
There are no restrictions on Netanyahu to run in the March 2 election – the third polls in less than a year – but good governance groups are appealing whether he could be tasked with forming a new government if he emerges victorious.
Many of the Israeli public are dissatisfied with Netanyahu’s performance and his corruption!
Read more from: The Palestine Chronicle pic.twitter.com/VPXvXeGspy
— PSC Thailand (@PSCThailand) December 3, 2018
Given the shaky legal ground, the court could deem the scenario hypothetical and delay the case until that happens.
The hearing comes as Netanyahu appears poised to seek immunity from the corruption charges against him, delaying the prospect of a trial until the elections when he hopes to have a parliamentary majority coalition that will shield him from prosecution.
(Al Jazeera, PC, Social Media)
