Senior Likudniks: Edelstein will pay for toppling Netanyahu

The Knesset speaker chose the middle ground and allowed stalling that could result in there not being enough time before the March 2 election to remove Netanyahu's immunity.

By GIL HOFFMAN
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein speaks in a Knesset press conference after Knesset legal advisor Eyal Yinon issued a controversial on Prime Minister Netanyahu's immunity request, January 12, 2020 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein speaks in a Knesset press conference after Knesset legal advisor Eyal Yinon issued a controversial on Prime Minister Netanyahu's immunity request, January 12, 2020
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein lost his chance to become Israel's next president because he did not block the Knesset plenum from convening to remove immunity from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sources in Likud said Monday.
These sources, close to Netanyahu were quoted as saying, “Edelstein surrendered to the Left and fell in its trap.” KAN reported Netanyahu saying over the weekend that “if Edelstein convenes the plenum, I won’t let it happen silently.” The Likud may even petition the Supreme Court against Edelstein, who is a Likud MK.
Netanyahu’s son Yair attacked Edelstein on Sunday night, tweeting that the Knesset speaker’s father-in-law, oligarch Leonid Nevzlin, is wanted on murder charges in Russia, owns Haaretz and keeps it alive. The tweet was later deleted.
Edelstein had been under pressure from Blue and White to convene the plenum last week, and then this week, to authorize creating a house committee that will formally vote to remove Netanyahu’s immunity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been pressuring him not to convene it at all.
Edelstein chose the middle ground and allowed stalling, which could result in not having enough time before the March 2 election to remove Netanyahu’s immunity. He blamed Knesset legal adviser Eyal Yinon for ruling that a house committee could be formed during an election.
“I said I would neither expedite nor delay the meeting,” Edelstein said Sunday. “I make all decisions based on the values I have had my entire life, the laws and the rules of the Knesset and legal judgments. That is what I did now. Even though I disagree with the Knesset legal adviser, it was important to make this decision, in order to maintain the trust of all the factions in the institution of Knesset speaker.”
Edelstein said the reason the plenum could not be convened this week is that it would be inappropriate to discuss a divisive issue when dozens of world leaders are in the country to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. He said he chose Tuesday next week, because Monday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
There is a majority for removing Netanyahu’s immunity in the Knesset plenum, and there will also be one in the House Committee, which will legislate the rejection of his request for immunity from prosecution in his criminal cases. The Knesset Arrangements Committee passed a proposal last Monday to create a house committee, even though it is normally only established after a government is formed. But the committee’s decision is pending approval by the Knesset plenum.
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz responded that Netanyahu himself asked the Knesset to give him immunity. Blue and White officials said Netanyahu was only trying to block the vote because there was a majority against immunity. The officials said there was enough time before the election to hold deliberations that will be professional and fair, to vote on rejecting immunity and to enable Netanyahu’s indictment to be filed with the Jerusalem District Court.
Blue and White MK Meir Cohen responded to Edelstein’s decision by praising him for withstanding pressure from inside Likud and respecting a request from a majority of the Knesset. Blue and White had threatened to unseat Edelstein and replace him with Cohen.
Earlier Sunday, Yisrael Beytenu MK Eli Avidar said the reason Edelstein was not announcing a date to convene the plenum was that Likud was negotiating a deal with Arab MKs to support immunity for Netanyahu. The Joint List and Likud faction chairman Miki Zohar vigorously denied the allegations, and Zohar said Avidar belonged in a mental institution.
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit rejected Netanyahu’s request on Sunday for his attorneys to receive the investigative material in the cases against him. Normally, such information is only provided when an indictment is formally filed.
Netanyahu requested to receive it anyway, to fight against removing his immunity. But Mandelblit said the materials would only be transferred when Netanyahu’s indictment has been delivered, which can only happen when his immunity is removed.