The Blue and White Party intends to try to oust Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein if he attempts to prevent discussions in the Knesset on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's request for immunity, Channel 12 News reported on Wednesday.
The Knesset’s legal adviser, Eyal Yinon, is set to decide on Thursday whether Edelstein can veto and prevent the establishment of the Knesset House Committee to discuss the immunity request, even if there is a majority of 65 MKs that is required to form the committee.
Legal officials have estimated that Yinon will not allow Edelstein to veto the move and, even if such a veto is used, Blue and White intends to oust the Speaker and is already exploring various scenarios to advance the move.
Blue and White members believe that the pressure being exerted by them will lead to Netanyahu pulling back his request for immunity before the March 2 elections.
Under Israeli law, a request for parliamentary immunity must be brought before the Knesset’s House Committee, which is required to hold hearings on the matter and vote on the request.
If the request wins committee backing, it is brought before the full Knesset plenum for a vote.
Since no new government was formed in either the 21st or 22nd Knessets, however, no House Committee has been formed since the 20th Knesset, leaving Netanyahu’s request for parliamentary immunity in limbo – freezing the legal proceedings against him until a new House Committee is formed to vote on the request.
While Blue and White has demanded the Knesset vote to form a House Committee for the outgoing Knesset, during a caretaker government, any Knesset action can be vetoed by the Speaker.