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On the contrary, we have immunity hearings in the Knesset

2020-01-07T22:44:12.255Z


Itamar Fleischmann


Despite the emotions, the political turmoil surrounding the possibility of a Knesset debate on the removal of the prime minister's immunity seems to pass over the head of the public, exhausted by the dizzying elections. Significant moves have not been recorded so far in the polls, and the streets have not been washed by angry protesters.

It is hard to blame the indifferent citizens. The issue of immunity joins a host of issues that have come to the headlines, most of it being on a legal night and dawdling over legal aspects and constraints on ballots. Opinions, quotations from the king's speech in the council and the ancient judgments are sprinkled on the voter from the background repeatedly. But through the bureaucratic smoke screen, one can conceive of a scenario in which the Knesset committee's debate on removing immunity to Netanyahu becomes an unprecedented parliamentary show. A judicial concert that combines comedy, tragedy and especially farce, which can certainly affect the outcome of the election in a way that is difficult to assess.

If the initiative is successful in discussing pre-election immunity in the coming weeks, the Knesset Committee room will become an interesting hybrid between a courtroom and a theater hall. Contrary to current Knesset work, based on bargaining and political dealings, the removal of immunity is essentially legal. What was presented to them. Absence from meetings will deny them the right to vote.

The stars of the play will be the two main "witnesses". First is the prime minister, whose role is important but secondary, thanks to the fact that he has already been combed with iron combs, and his lawyers will speak for him and in his place. The second star is the Mandelblit District Court, who will be required to report and answer questions from Knesset members and Prime Minister's attorneys. The head of the law enforcement system will actually face a "cross-examination" in front of the cameras and will face countless questions by the elected officials and the defendants' attorneys he decided to prosecute. In the background, it is not difficult to predict, each of the Knesset members present will try to stand out and deliver his messages on the eve of elections. Farce - have we already said?

Any stuttering, convulsion, embarrassing answer or problematic statement by the Supreme Court will immediately become propaganda weapons on the A side; any determined statement or compelling evidence will be used as a political weapon on the B side. They will be launched from all sides, brave MKs will stay away from the debate with shouts and waving hands, and all of them together will mourn the demise of democracy that has softened its soul - on the opposite side, of course. The wording of the law, it is important to clarify, does not require the Court to attend the hearing.

On the eve of the hearing before the indictment was filed, the PM asked to conduct the procedure live. Mandelblit refused the request, calling it "baseless." Now there is a possibility that we will all get a live hearing on steroids and election night, with Netanyahu sitting on the bench of "defendants" the attorney general himself. Who will earn and who will lose? It's hard to estimate, but it can be reassured that it won't be boring.

For more views by Itamar Fleischmann

Source: israelhayom

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