The Blue&White party announced on Wednesday morning that it is planning to petition the high Court of Justice against outgoing Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, for preventing a Knesset plenum vote for the office he had left.
Edelstein’s resignation thwarted the possibility of holding a vote for a new Speaker until Monday, which leaves Blue&White only two weeks to try to form a government while at the same time promoting personal laws against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right to cobble together a coalition.
MK Ofer Shelah (Blue&White), chairman of the Knesset Coronavirus Committee, said that “the resignation of Yuli Edelstein does not exempt him from carrying out the High Court’s decision, convene the plenary and elect a Knesset Speaker. This is the peak of the war declared by Netanyahu and the Likud against the Knesset and democracy. We won’t let this pass.”
MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) said that the resignation of the Speaker of the Knesset was the first of its kind since the establishment of the state. “Edelstein had to act in a civic-minded way, run a vote for a new speaker and not drag the Knesset into such disdain, where he eventually carrie a nasty attack on the High Court. His final act is also invalid – a violation of the court’s decision and failure to elect a speaker today. Shameful.”
Well, we thought Edelstein was magnificent in his resounding trashing of the High Court’s extra-constitutional action. We also hope that in the coming election, Israeli voters will not forget what happens when an atmosphere party takes over. We may not be crazy about Bibi Netanyahu, but man, is he head and shoulders above these shmegegies.
Edelstein for Prime Minister!