Watchdog group petitions high court to postpone government swearing-in

Movement for Quality Government asserts Likud-Blue and White coalition cannot proceed without publication of Netanyahu’s conflict of interest disclosure

By ToI Staff 13 May 2020, 6:13 pm

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Eliad Shraga, chairman of the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, speaks at a protest at Habima Square in Tel Aviv, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to quit following the announcement by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit that he would stand trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different corruption cases. November 30, 2019. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

In a last-ditch effort to derail the installation of the new unity government, the Movement for Quality Government in Israel petitioned the High Court of Justice to force Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to postpone Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony pending the publication of a conflict of interest disclosure by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Earlier this month, the High Court of Justice unanimously rejected a series of petitions, including by the Movement for Quality Government, seeking both to prevent Netanyahu from forming a government due to the criminal charges against him and to block the coalition deal he signed with Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz.

In its ruling, the court said Netanyahu would need to abide by a conflict of interest arrangement whenever dealing with law enforcement affairs while serving as prime minister (under the deal with Blue and White, Gantz will replace him as premier in 18 months).

Reacting to the verdict, the group said it would respect the ruling, but called the Netanyahu-Gantz government “the exact definition of ‘kosher but odious.”

Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut speaks during High Court of Justice deliberations on petitions against Benjamin Netanyahu being appointed prime minister, on May 3, 2020. (Screen capture)

The next day it once again petitioned the High Court of Justice, minutes after the Knesset passed legislation anchoring the coalition agreement between Blue and White and Likud into law.

The group called for the cancellation of an amendment to one of Israel’s quasi-constitutional Basic Law, passed by Likud and Blue and White to allow Netanyahu and Gantz to share a rotating premiership.

Netanyahu’s trial is slated to begin on May 24. He faces criminal charges in three criminal cases: fraud and breach of trust in Cases 1000 and 2000, and bribery, fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000.

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit holds a press conference at the Justice Ministry in Jerusalem announcing his decision to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, November 21, 2019. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Case 1000 involves accusations that Netanyahu received gifts and benefits from billionaire benefactors including Israeli-born Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for favors.

Case 2000 involves accusations that Netanyahu agreed with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes to weaken a rival daily in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth.

Case 4000, widely seen as the most serious against the premier, involves accusations that Netanyahu advanced regulatory decisions that benefited Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder in the Bezeq telecom giant, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, in exchange for positive coverage from its Walla news site.