Israeli coalition heads reject any attempts to incapacitate Netanyahu

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
14 Nov 2024 23:51

The signatories have stressed that any declaration of incapacity "would amount to a coup in every sense.”

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the opening of the 25th Knesset session in occupied al-Quds, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024 (AP)

In a unified statement, leaders of the parties within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition declared their firm opposition to any potential move to compel Netanyahu to step down, even temporarily, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

The statement follows the al-Quds District Court's recent denial of a request to postpone Netanyahu’s testimony in his upcoming corruption trial, scheduled for December 2.

This comes amid a wave of unconfirmed reports suggesting that Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara might consider sidelining the prime minister during his court appearances. The attorney general has not made any public indication of such a decision.

“We the heads of the coalition parties reject outright any attempt to declare the prime minister incapacitated, even for a very short period of time,” the statement asserted.

“We stand and will continue to stand to protect democracy. Only the people, through their elected representatives in the Knesset, will determine who will lead the nation and who will serve as prime minister.”

The signatories stressed that “any declaration of incapacity lacks legal basis and is therefore invalid,” warning that “such a move would amount to a coup in every sense.”

The declaration is signed by the leaders of the Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, New Hope, and Noam parties.

What is Netanyahu facing?

Ynet mentioned that Netanyahu is facing charges in three corruption cases—Case 1000, Case 2000, and Case 4000—involving allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

In Case 1000, he is accused of accepting extravagant gifts from a billionaire in exchange for favors; Case 2000 centers on alleged negotiations with a newspaper publisher for favorable coverage; and Case 4000, the most serious, claims he provided regulatory benefits to a telecom giant in return for positive media coverage from its news outlet.

Recently, Netanyahu requested a delay in his testimony, arguing that the ongoing war prevents him from adequately preparing with his defense team and renders it unfeasible for him to testify over multiple days for several hours at a time.

Ynet pointed out that Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara could issue a directive requiring him to temporarily delegate his authority to another minister while he testifies, similar to procedures used during medical treatments.

Under this arrangement, Netanyahu would resume his duties at the end of each court day. If he resists, petitions could be filed with the High Court to mandate his temporary absence during his testimony.

The news website suggested that Netanyahu’s attorney may argue that declaring a prime minister incapacitated, even temporarily, during wartime would be unreasonable and against the public interest, proposing instead that another witness take the stand on his behalf.

However, Ynet indicated that the High Court may find it challenging to accept this procedural objection, given that the district court has already ruled Netanyahu must testify, noting that the High Court does not serve as an appellate body for district court decisions.