Iran Press/Middle East: Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must face prosecution for the charges against him in a court of law, signaling he would not support efforts for the Knesset to grant Netanyahu parliamentary immunity, al-monitor reported.
Liberman opened his faction meeting on Monday with reference to the Attorney General and government decision to indict Netanyahu.
Liberman made it clear his party would not support granting immunity from prosecution to Netanyahu, "There was no appeal in this matter, but I think it appropriate to wait for the court."
"Any attempt to decide the issue elsewhere, including in the Knesset by immunity, will undermine public confidence in the system and open a gap between the general public and the political system," he explained.
Without the support of Liberman’s eight-strong Yisrael Beytenu party, Netanyahu would be unlikely to gain the necessary backing from the current Knesset for parliamentary immunity from prosecution.
Liberman’s opposition effectively blocks Netanyahu’s path to immunity in the current Knesset, giving the prime minister only the assumed support of his bloc of 55 lawmakers from right-wing and religious parties that have so far vowed to support him as prime minister. However, new elections could change the arithmetic.
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