Netanyahu as president supported by Knesset majority – Likud source

A majority of MKs sworn in at the Knesset on Tuesday will vote for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be Israel’s next president, a senior Likud source close to Netanyahu said. The Jerusalem Post By law, presidential elections must be held between April 9 and June 9 before President Reuven Rivlin’s seven-year term ends on July 9. The politician closest to Netanyahu, Knesset chairman Yariv Levin, will set the date for the vote. in the Knesset, which must be held at least three weeks after the announcement of the date. “I know for a fact that most MKs would vote for him if he decided he wanted to become president,” the senior Likud source said. “It’s all in Netanyahu’s hands.” The source revealed that there is also a majority in the new Knesset to change the law and change the vote from a secret ballot to open, which could significantly increase the chances of Netanyahu’s election. It would also help Netanyahu’s chances of leaving the prime minister’s residence in Balfour Street to the presidential residence three blocks further could help end the two-and-a-half-year political stalemate. If Netanyahu is no longer the leader of Likud, the party will make a turn primarily among Likud members and whoever wins can easily form a stable, right-wing coalition consisting of the 73 MKs of Likud, Shas, Blue and White, United Torah Judaism, Yamina, New Hope and the Religious Zionist Party. ‘ar promised never to sit under Netanyahu, but said last week that he would join a government led by a new Likud leader, led by Finance Minister Israel Katz, Yuli Edelstein, and MK Nir Barkat, except, who are all candidates for the Likud leader. in the era after Netanyahu.

One complication that could prevent Netanyahu is that it is legally unclear whether the law preventing a president from prosecuting applies to a new president who is already facing charges and rightfully so due to bribery, fraud and breach of trust. A Netanyahu spokesman said he could not confirm a Channel 12 report that Netanyahu had checked the law with legal experts, or a separate report through the same channel that Netanyahu was no longer excluding a presidential candidate, as before. which is part of The Jerusalem Post Group, was the first to report that Netanyahu is considering seeking the presidency. Another technical possibility is that Levin may refuse to run for president. When Rivlin’s term ends, it will be up to Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to determine whether Levin will then become acting president. When Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik served as acting president after President Moshe Katsav suspended himself on charges of rape, Itzik arrested hundreds of people, including former MK Nomi Blumenthal. Blumenthal was convicted of bribery through the election and obstruction of justice because he paid the hotel rooms for the central committee members of the Likud before the election for the Knesset party and then tried to cover up. Levin can forgive Netanyahu if a plea agreement takes place in which Netanyahu is found guilty on criminal charges. If Netanyahu were elected president, he would join Shimon Peres as the only men to serve as prime minister and president. Other candidates are expected to include former Labor ministers Isaac Herzog, Amir Peretz and Shimon Sheetrit, Likud MK, Yehudah Glick and perhaps Israeli prize winner Miriam Peretz and singer Yehoram Gaon.