"Netanyahu Bill" Approved by Israeli Parliamentary CommitteeIsraeli Parliament's Law Committee Sunday afternoon endorsed several bills that would allow former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to run for the premiership in a special prime ministerial election on February 6.The legislations, dubbed "Netanyahu bills", were approved by a vote of nine for, six against in the Knesset (Parliament) committee debating. The bills which now are sent to the Knesset plenum for their first readings on Monday before a further debating in the committee, will go into their second and third readings in the same day. The legislations were put on the fast track after Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Ehud Barak submitted his resignation letter last Sunday, which led to a special election for prime minister. Barak's move was widely believed aimed at keeping Netanyahu out of the race. According to Israeli law, only a sitting Knesset member can run for prime minister. Netanyahu resigned from his Knesset seat after being defeated by Barak in the 1999 general elections. The bills aimed to amend Israel's Basic Law and clear the legal obstacles to Netanyahu's candidacy in a special prime ministerial election passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset last Wednesday. But Netanyahu himself opposes such bills and wants to dissolve the Knesset and hold early elections for the parliament at the same time. If the Knesset is disbanded, any eligible citizens, including Netanyahu, could participate in the general elections without amending the Basic Law. Netanyahu reportedly fears that he will be unable to form a stable coalition based on the current Knesset makeup and threatened last week that he will pull out of the race if the bills calling for the dissolving of the Knesset are not passed. The bills, which passed its first reading on November 28, will also be brought to the Knesset plenum on Monday for its second and third readings. |
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