The Israeli government has approved a law that prevents the High Court or the Ombudsman from declaring impeachment against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to his legal proceedings. The proposed amendment to the Basic Bill states that the Prime Minister can only be disqualified from performing his duties due to physical or mental incapacity. The authority to declare impeachment or to terminate it will be solely based on a notification to the Knesset by the Prime Minister or a government notification received by a majority of three-fourths of its members. The Government Secretary will announce a meeting on this matter at the request of the majority of the members of the government, which will be chaired by the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister opposes the Government’s announcement, the Speaker of the Knesset will schedule a special meeting, and the Prime Minister’s resolution will not enter into force unless approved by a majority of 90 members of the Knesset. It is proposed that a court, including the Supreme Court, will not discuss a request to declare the Prime Minister’s impeachment or to confirm that a decision or order of such a court will be without authority and void.
The Special Committee for Amendments to the Basic Law: The government approved this evening (Tuesday) for a second and third reading the law that will prevent the High Court or the Ombudsman from declaring impeachment against the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to the legal proceedings against him.
In the Basic Bill: The Government, Amendment No. 15, Disqualifications of the Prime Minister, it was proposed to state that the disqualification of the Prime Minister from performing his duties can only occur due to physical or mental incapacity of the Prime Minister. In addition, the authority to declare the Prime Minister’s impeachment from performing his duties and the termination of impeachment shall be solely based on a notification to the Knesset by the Prime Minister or a notification by the government received by a majority of three-fourths of its members. In addition, at the request of the majority of the members of the government, the secretary of the government will announce a meeting on this matter. The meeting will be chaired by the Prime Minister.
The main points of the legal reform and the meanings (photo: no credit)
If the Prime Minister informs the Speaker of the Knesset that he opposes the Government’s announcement, the Speaker of the Knesset will schedule a special meeting and the Prime Minister’s resolution will not enter into force unless approved by a majority of 90 members of the Knesset. It is proposed to clarify that a court, including the Supreme Court in its session as a high court of justice, will not discuss a request to declare the Prime Minister’s impeachment or to confirm that a decision or order of such a court will be without authority and void.