Netanyahu Cabinet Choice Has Criminal Convictions, Delaying a Government

JERUSALEM — When Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc won a parliamentary majority in the November 1 general election, his allies told reporters he hoped to form a full-fledged coalition within minutes. two weeks.

But on Friday, Mr. Netanyahu had 10 more days to try to form a government as he was still negotiating with his partners, who among others wanted to introduce a new law that would allow those who suspended prison sentence became Cabinet Minister.

That law would allow Aryeh Deri – a key Netanyahu ally who was recently convicted of tax fraud – to hold three ministerial positions, including the key position of interior minister. That would pave the way for Mr. Netanyahu to eventually form a government.

Mr. Netanyahu will miss Sunday’s deadline to form that government, with it likely that on Friday Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, approved Mr. Netanyahu’s request for more time to complete the negotiations. its alliance.

Analysts still think Mr. Netanyahu will almost certainly return to power: He has signed initial deals with most of his bloc’s far-right Jewish and ultra-Orthodox parties, putting him forward. closer to forming the most right-wing government in Israel’s history.

But the standoff illustrates why Mr. Netanyahu’s critics see his return as a threat to Israel’s rule of law. His political partners have announced plans to undermine Israel’s system of checks and balances and deflect Mr. Netanyahu’s policy. corruption trial is going on.

Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly pledged to rein in his partners and rejected any plans to thwart his prosecution in the long-running corruption case. But the context of extending the negotiating period, along with the appointments he has madeexacerbated fears about his attitude towards judicial and legal rules.

The 10 extra days he was given to complete a coalition is expected to give Mr Netanyahu’s allies enough time to appoint a new speaker of Parliament – a move that would allow Mr. control the parliamentary process without formally leading the government.

This would allow his bloc to overturn legislation plaguing Mr Deri – whom Mr Netanyahu has agreed to appoint simultaneously to the interior and health ministries, as well as the finance ministry over a two-year period – into The minister’s office released its criminal record.

Mr. Deri, an extremely veteran Orthodox lawmaker who served in the cabinet, was recently given a suspended prison sentence for failing to declare all of his income. According to the recent interpretation of the law by the Israeli attorney general, that prevents Mr. Deri from holding the position of minister without special permission from the electoral authority. He also served nearly two years in prison in the early 2000s after being convicted of taking bribes during his time as interior minister, but that no longer officially removed him from office.

To exempt Mr. Deri, his party drafted legislation to remove that restriction. On Monday, Mr. Netanyahu’s bloc is expected to install a right-wing speaker who could help pass legislation through Parliament – worrying Mr. Netanyahu’s critics.

“The goal of this whole move is to get an elected official out of justice,” Gilad Kariv, a center-left lawmaker from the soon-to-leave governing coalition, said in Parliament this week. Kariv added: “The alliance of the future is an alliance of liars who do not trust each other.

Such talk has angered Mr. Netanyahu’s allies.

Yoav Kisch, a lawmaker from Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, replied: “These are malicious claims. Mr. Kisch added that the planned legislation is not aimed at any particular politician and is instead a fair attempt “to remedy the current reality of the lack of legal clarity in the law”. appointment of ministers”.

Before a government can be formed, the new speaker will also need to facilitate a parliamentary vote to give another ministerial candidate greater control over the ministry. Israeli security machine.

Itamar Ben-Gvira far-right extremist convicted of supporting a terrorist group and inciting racism; has agreed to join Mr. Netanyahu’s government on condition that he be appointed minister of national security — a role Newly created for Mr. Ben-Gvir will give him extended police surveillance.

Although Mr. Ben-Gvir also has a criminal record, his appointment does not require any changes to the law governing ministerial appointments because, unlike Mr. Deri, his conviction happened over seven years ago. Instead, the powers he seeks over the police force are so broad that his role must be approved by Congress before Mr. Netanyahu can complete his coalition.

Mr. Netanyahu has offered so many positions to rival party leaders that he also needs more time to find suitable roles for allies in his own party, Likud. Analysts say much of the next 10 days will also be spent scrambling to prevent internal disagreements among senior Likud figures, some of whom will not be appointed to the position. remaining positions in the cabinet.

Netanyahu’s talks have also been slowed by a dispute with another far-right leader, Bezalel Smotrich.

A pro-settlement leader seeking to annex the West Bank to Israel, the original Mr. Smotrich seek to head the ministry of defense, a powerful role that would have given him control over the occupation of the West Bank. After US officials expressed concealed displeasure, who feared that such an appointment would mark the final death knell for the concept of a Palestinian state, Mr. Netanyahu denied his request. Smotrich.

But after days of negotiations, Mr. Netanyahu gave Smotrich’s party control of a defense ministry that oversees aspects of the occupation, such as Israel’s process of issuing work permits to Palestinians and creating a mechanism. domestic job sharing. and finance ministries to allow Mr. Smotrich to take on both roles alongside Mr. Deri.

Mr. Netanyahu’s willingness to split ministries in this way, by sharing work or transferring ministries from one ministry to another, has raised concerns that his government, despite its ideological unity than most Israeli governments, will have difficulty operating in a coherent manner.

“The Ministry of Education, which is much more important than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is broken into four or five different components,” wrote Ben Caspit, a prominent journalist, in Ma’ariv, a broad Israeli newspaper, on Friday.

Mr. Caspit said: “The health ministry was assigned to Aryeh Deri as a side job. “For the first time in history, certain powers and sensitive positions have been taken away from the Department of Defense. Two completely opposite ministers will alternate as finance ministers.”

“Good luck to all of us,” added Mr Caspit.

The outgoing prime minister, Yair Lapid, wrote on Facebook parcel on Friday that Mr Netanyahu’s recent decisions have left him “weakened, oppressed by younger and more determined partners”.

Mr Lapid added: “They are creating an administrative structure that is unmanageable. Likud has become a junior partner in his government, Netanyahu is at the peak of weakness and extremists are pushing the system into illusory places.”

Mr. Netanyahu has repeatedly dismissed similar criticism in recent weeks, promising he would personally act as a force of moderation against any extremists in his coalition.

Netanyahu said in an interview last month with Bari Weiss, an American podcaster and commentator: “The main policy or the most important policy of the government is decided by Likud and to be honest, decided by me. .

During his previous tenure, critics often made “predictions of this doom, but none came to fruition,” he added.

“I uphold the democratic nature of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “I uphold the traditions of Israel.”

Jonathan Rosen and Hiba Yazbek contributed reporting.