A majority of opposition members of Knesset are now barricaded in the Israeli parliament (socially distanced for each other) demanding the outgoing speaker (Likud) allow voting on a new speaker and committees which will reflect that Likud and its allies are the minority.
Speaker Edelstein claims that a vote now will jeopardize national-unity talks between Likud and B&W but it's B&W which is demanding the vote. Likud Whip Zohar refuses to empanel new committees because of coronavirus concerns but has rejected suggestions for video-conferencing.
Netanyahu's stooges are using the coronavirus crisis to ignore the results of the election which took place only 2 weeks ago and to prevent the new Knesset from executing its parliamentary oversight duties.
Speaker Edelstein (Likud) just announced that his "compromise" is empaneling a Knesset Arrangements Committee with coalition and opposition on equal footing (despite the opposition having a majority) and since the opposition refused, he's prepared to hold a vote only next week.
Since a total coronavirus shutdown is expected in Israel any day now, Edelstein's "compromise" is effectively a shutdown of parliamentary oversight of Netanyahu's (thrice) unelected interim minority caretaker government at a time of national emergency AKA suspension of democracy
Benny Gantz, who currently has s mandate to form a government and commands the support of a majority of the Knesset has just asked for an emergency meeting with President Rivlin to protest the suspension of Knesset proceedings by Likud.
Blue and White will also be petitioning the Supreme Court tomorrow against Knesset Speaker Edelstein for "trampling over democracy".
Outgoing Speaker Edelstein (Likud) has now adjourned the Knesset until next week despite having been presented with 61 signatures of MKs demanding an immediate vote on a new speaker and committees. No exaggeration, this is likely to be Israel's biggest constitutional crisis ever.
President Rivlin called outgoing Speaker Edelstein an hour ago to warn him that adjourning the Knesset is "undermining Israeli democracy" but Edelstein went ahead and did it anyway. Despite a majority of MKs demanding a vote immediately.
Incredibly, none of the main Israeli television channels are opening with this. It’s all wall-to-wall coronavirus, as if Israel’s biggest crisis of democracy isn’t taking place right now before our eyes.
Netanyahu now on FB blaming B&W and the Arabs for his tame speaker suspending parliament “B&W want to carry out non-democratic grabs” and “we demanded that terror-supporters will not chair committees”.
A convoy of cars on it's way to Jerusalem to protest against the Likud speaker adjourning parliament against wishes of the majority has been stopped by police and prevented from continuing
It is now nearly 21 hours in which parliamentary democracy has been shut down in Israel
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Hundreds of cars continuing to try and get to the Knesset in Jerusalem with Israelis protesting against the suspension of parliamentary democracy. Massive police forces blocking all roads now despite protestors observing coronavirus restrictions
Meanwhile the Supreme Court is already hearing petitions against the government’s 1.30am decision to allow the security services to use electronic surveillance to track suspected coronavirus carriers. The Knesset’s closure also coming up in hearing
While the Supreme Court is hearing petitions against the emergency surveillance powers, Justice Solberg has set the hearing on the Knesset suspension for Sunday @ 4pm but has already told the sides that they should act “as if he’s already issued a temporary ruling.” Interesting.
Justice Solberg is a non-interventionist conservative and will hate to have to rule against the Knesset Speaker on a matter or parliamentary procedure, but he’s basically signaling that if forced to decide, he will rule against Likud’s obstruction of parliamentary democracy.
Justice Solberg isn’t just a conservative non-interventionist, he’s the only religious settler on the Supreme Court and if he rules against the Likud’s Knesset speaker on this, it will be much more difficult for Netanyahu’s people to attack the Supreme Court for usurping power.
Meanwhile, outside the Knesset, police starting to arrest pro-democracy protestors (those who managed to get through the police blockade)
24 hours after the Likud’s speaker adjourned the Knesset despite a majority of MKs demanding to replace him and empanel committees, Blue and White is now also petitioning the Supreme Court against the speaker (civil society NGOs did so earlier).
Blue and White’s Supreme Court petition against the Likud’s Knesset speaker demanding that A. The Knesset be convened immediately to hold a vote on appointing a new speaker and B. New Knesset committees be immediately empaneled
A special forum of the 5 most senior justices will rule on Sunday on the petitions against Likud’s speaker blocking the majority from voting in the Knesset
The Supreme Court isn’t kidding around. Just ruled that if by Tuesday there’s no parliamentary oversight, the emergency powers of the Shin Bet and police to carry out coronavirus-related electronic surveillance will be canceled.
