Legal Affairs
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now has 30 days to convince the Knesset’s House Committee, which currently has no members, to grant him immunity from prosecution.
“It would be far-reaching judicial activism to establish that the president cannot give the mandate to form a government to someone who the citizens of the country vote for, assuming that they vote in high numbers of Netanyahu,” said Professor Yedidia Stern of the Israel Democracy Institute.
As many as 15,000 Israelis, but almost no senior Likud lawmakers, attended the event prompted by indictments against the prime minister.
The Palestinian Authority closes schools to encourage students to take part in mass protests • Israel Defense Forces deploy extra officers to help ensure protests don’t spark wider clashes.
The letter, which was authored by Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) and signed by 107 Democrats, expressed “strong disagreement” with the State Department’s new policy and urged Pompeo to “reverse this policy decision immediately.”
Under Israeli law, there are no requirements for a sitting prime minister to resign if they are under criminal indictment. However, other public officials, including cabinet ministers, are required to step down.
“Israel Hayom” survey predicts Likud would win 33 mandates in the new elections compared to Blue and White’s 34, while Yisrael Beiteinu is expected to fall from its current nine Knesset seats to seven.
With the right rallying behind the Israeli prime minister and the left-wing opposition calling for his resignation, the political stalemate inflicting the Jewish state has no end in sight.
“I will not allow lies to win,” declared the Israeli prime minister. “I will continue to lead this country, according to the letter of the law.”
His political opponents immediately called for him to resign.
Under the proposal, Eva Drive would become Lori Lynn Lane.
With the Jewish holidays, the two-year anniversary and the U.S. presidential election next fall, a trial might not begin until early 2021.
