Likud assails Knesset legal adviser over alleged conflict of interest

Netanyahu’s Likud party openly attacks Knesset legal adviser Eyal Yinon, after information emerges that his wife was involved in drafting criminal charges against the prime minister in the state attorney’s office.

“Eyal Yinon has a serious conflict of interest, which could be criminal,” the party claims. “He committed not to deal with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s matters, directly or indirectly, and he actively deals with them. It cannot be that while his partner decides on a criminal indictment against Netanyahu, he takes unprecedented steps to thwart his [Netanyahu’s] immunity request. He must suspend himself immediately from his position.”

On Sunday, Yinon authored a legal opinion saying the interim Knesset could convene the House Committee that would debate the prime minister’s request for immunity. Netanyahu had sought to delay the immunity proceedings until after the March elections, as a majority of lawmakers in the current Knesset oppose his bid.

Hebrew-language media reported earlier that Yinon’s wife Amit Merari, who works for the state prosecution, was involved in formulating the criminal indictments against the premier. She and Yinon both signed a conflict of interest document in 2017 declaring that he would not deal with issues related to cases she has worked on, according to Channel 12.

Following the reports, Likud MK Miki Zohar, the faction whip, contacted Yinon’s office urging him to recuse himself.