Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud warned the High Court of Justice on Tuesday that if it disqualifies the Alternate Prime Minister Law that facilitated the formation of the government, elections would be initiated immediately.
The law created the post of alternate prime minister that is currently filled by Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and is set to shift to Netanyahu in November 2021.
In its response to a Movement for Quality Government petition asking for the bill’s disqualification, the Likud reminded the court that the coalition agreement guarantees elections if the High Court would overturn the bill. The response said that Likud and Blue and White had agreed on a series of bills and overturning any of them would upset that balance.
“Accepting the petition would almost certainly result in the unraveling of the agreements, decisions and compromises and force an additional election,” the Likud wrote the court.
Netanyahu’s party stressed that because the bill was passed as a basic law, the court had no authority to overturn it.
“This authority belongs solely to the nation, via its elected officials,” the Likud wrote.
Both Likud and Blue and White called on the court to rule as soon as possible.
In its petition, the Movement for Quality Government said the bill was illegal.
“It changes the basic structure of governments in Israel,” the movement wrote. “Prime Minister Netanyahu is misusing the laws passed to avoid prosecution, while Gantz is misusing the laws because of his lack of trust in Netanyahu.”
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