Prime ministerial candidate Gideon Sa’ar criticized Likud MKs on Monday for calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial to be postponed until after the March election.
Both Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin and Deputy Health Minister Yoav Kisch said the trial should be delayed, because the prosecution’s case against the prime minister is set to be presented before his defense. They said it would not be fair for one side to be heard by the public before the election and not the other.
“This is a difficult day for everyone and a difficult day for the State of Israel,” Sa’ar said. “Politicians across the political spectrum should not get involved. They should enable the trial to be run professionally without political interference from either side and without political pressure.”
Acting Justice Minister Benny Gantz said it was a sad day because the prime minister went on trial, but that an important message was sent by the trial that all citizens are equal under the law.
“We will not let anyone harm the justice system,” Gantz said. “For months, the legal system has been under an unprecedented attack, [with a] ruling party that tries to harm the legal system with legislation and incitement. We have seen personal threats against officials, which is a threat to Israeli democracy – and we will continue to fight it every day.”
Gantz said his Blue and White Party prevented Netanyahu from avoiding going to trial. He said Blue and White would demand the Justice portfolio in the next government, which he said would not be formed by Netanyahu.
In what could be bad news for the prime minister, former justice minister Ayelet Shaked told Channel 12 on Monday that her Yamina Party would oppose granting immunity from prosecution to the prime minister and the so-called French Law that would legislate such immunity. Without Yamina, Netanyahu would have a tough time passing the bill.
Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is third on the Religious Zionist Party list, said he would ensure that the French Law would be passed and that other steps would be taken to decrease the powers of the attorney-general and state prosecutor.
“In the next Knesset, we will stop the rule of the clerks,” Ben-Gvir said.
United Torah Judaism leader Moshe Gafni presented a different way for Netanyahu to bypass the legal establishment. He said on Monday that his faction would support the Supreme Court override bill, which could allow the Knesset to overturn its decisions.
“We will not join any coalition that does not pass the Supreme Court override bill, because there must be a firm separation of powers between the legislative and judicial branches,” Gafni said.