Court proceedings in Netanyahu’s corruption cases cannot begin until the immunity issue is resolved.

By World Israel News Staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering withdrawing his request for immunity from corruption charges, reports Channel 12 News.

The Knesset House Committee, a parliamentary body that considers immunity requests, is expected to vote on Tuesday whether to grant Netanyahu immunity from prosecution. Netanyahu’s opponents, who make up a majority in the current parliament, are expected to deny the request.

Netanyahu’s right and religious political allies say that they will boycott Tuesday’s vote, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

In a statement, Blue and White denounced the boycott, saying: “It’s unfortunate that the head of the transition government continues to disrespect the Knesset and democratic rule and refuses to have its people take part in the discussion of the immunity request — which he initiated to evade justice. Netanyahu asked for a discussion of his immunity, and Netanyahu will get one.”

Court proceedings in Netanyahu’s corruption cases cannot begin until the immunity issue is resolved.

Netanyahu, who requested immunity on January 1 in a televised address, had hoped that the House Committee would not meet until after the elections on March 2, when he hopes a more sympathetic slate of lawmakers will be chosen. If his request is rejected now, he cannot ask again in the next parliament.

Netanyahu’s Likud party has tried to delay the immunity proceedings through a series of legal challenges. But the Knesset’s legal adviser Eyal Yinon ruled that there were no grounds for preventing the formation of a committee that deals with immunity requests.

According to Yinon, even though a transition Knesset usually cannot form committees such as the one that rules on immunity requests, the law says that such requests should be considered “as soon as possible,” and therefore the House Committee seats could be filled.

Despite belonging to the Likud, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein approved the convening of Tuesday’s vote, explaining that his responsibility first and foremost is to adhere to the law.

Netanyahu was charged in November with fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three cases involving trading political and regulatory favors for positive news coverage, and accepting gifts from billionaire friends.

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The Knesset speaker “will not be forgiven,” say Likud officials, for what they call a political betrayal.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein began taking fire immediately after announcing Sunday that he will allow the newly set House Committee to convene next week to discuss Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for immunity from charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery.

One senior member of his Likud party said angrily, “If he doesn’t change his decision, it looks like he’s finished in the Likud.”

A second agreed, saying, “If Edelstein had any dreams of being president, he lost the Likud with this decision. We won’t support him. The Likud won’t forgive him for this.”

“Edelstein sold us out, and cheaply,” said another. “When it comes from him, it legitimizes what Blue and White is doing. He’s fueling the Blue and White’s campaign.”

The Knesset’s legal adviser ruled last week that even though a transitional Knesset usually cannot form committees such as the one that rules on immunity requests, the law says that such requests should be considered “as soon as possible,” and therefore the House Committee seats could be filled. The parties opposing the Likud immediately pressed for the Knesset speaker to give his necessary permission, since they will have a majority there and can easily deny Netanyahu’s request.

The upshot is that the three court cases against Netanyahu could begin much sooner than expected, as the trials can only start after the House Committee rules on the immunity issue.

Edelstein made his unpopular decision even though he personally thinks that the hearings will turn into a “political show,” because he said he is determined to obey the law.

“As I said a week ago,” Edelstein noted when he made his announcement, “the hearing process for the prime minister’s immunity request has been contaminated. The [opposition] parties will turn the Knesset’s House Committee hearings into a political show for the elections, something which cannot be allowed to happen, and they will turn the legislature into a jungle. There was a bitter taste of this at the hearing held by the Arrangements Committee just a few days ago.”

On the other hand, he had also committed to “make all the relevant decisions based on the values that I have followed my entire life, and in adherence to the law, the Knesset’s regulations, and legal precedent.”

Edelstein decided that the committee should only meet next Tuesday, due to the arrival of over 50 world leaders this week to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. It would “constitute a disgrace for the legislature” to have the heads of so many countries witness the political “scuffles” in the Knesset, he said.

According to a report in Ynet, Netanyahu’s advisers are divided over whether to boycott the hearings since their conclusions are foregone and its discussions could hurt him further, or stretch them out with procedural issues, hopefully delaying their ruling until the elections.

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