Israel: Blue and White to propose law preventing indicted PM from serving

Israel’s Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) party is preparing to introduce a bill that prevents indicted ministers from serving as prime minister, local media reported yesterday.

The Times of Israel reported the bloc’s head, Benny Gantz, confirming that his party was working to mobilise the Knesset majority to support this law which is targeting Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu and his allies received 58 seats following Israel’s election on Monday, leaving his right-wing union in need of three more seats before it achieves the 61 seats necessary to head the government.

Gantz proposed this law after the September elections – which saw political parties unable to form a coalition which would meet quorum – but it was opposed by Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman. Sources told the Times of Israel that Lieberman is likely to support the law this time.

In 2008, Netanyahu himself supported such law when then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was facing corruption charges. The law did not go ahead as Olmert resigned before the charges were filed.

Attorney General of the Israeli Government Avichai Mandelblit filed indictments against Netanyahu in January, making it the first time in Israel’s history that a serving prime minister was indicted on criminal charges.

Netanyahu filed an immunity request to the Knesset but later withdrew it. His court case is due to begin on 17 March.

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