Coalition chiefs in joint statement vow to reject any attempt to legally sideline PM

In a joint statement, the heads of the parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition say they reject any possible attempt to force Netanyahu to step aside, even for a brief period.

The letter comes a day after the Jerusalem District Court rejected a request to delay Netanyahu’s testimony in his corruption trial, currently set for next month, amid a slew of unconfirmed reports that the attorney general could seek to sideline the prime minister during the time he is testifying. The attorney general has not publicly suggested any such move.

“We the heads of the coalition parties reject outright any attempt to declare the prime minister incapacitated, even for a very short period of time,” the statement reads. “We stand and will continue to stand to protect democracy. Only the people, through their elected representatives in the Knesset, will determine who will lead the nation and who will serve as prime minister.”

The statement is signed by the heads of the Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, New Hope and Noam factions.