Israel parliament speaker shuts Knesset, enraging opposition

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Knesset speaker Wednesday abruptly adjourned all parliamentary meetings until next week, apparently a response to the new coronavirus, in a move that froze opposition efforts to discuss bills seeking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ouster.

The decision drew angry accusations from Netanyahu’s opponents that the embattled prime minister is using the coronavirus crisis to cement his hold on power. Netanyahu’s rival vowed to challenge the parliamentary delay in the Supreme Court, while Israel’s president warned the country’s democratic system was being threatened.

“We must not let this crisis, as serious as it is, harm our democratic system,” President Reuven Rivlin said, as he implored Parliament Speaker Yuli Edelstein to ensure parliamentary activity. “We must do everything to deal with the crisis, being careful not to grievously harm our democratic system.”

The parliament was sworn in this week after March 2 elections. But Edelstein has been preventing parliament members from forming the key committees that would allow the legislature to function.

Edelstein is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud and his successor would be chosen from the opposing Blue and White party. He pushed off a vote for his successor as well.

Edelstein has cited procedural issues. But his opponents believe he is using the coronavirus crisis, which has brought the country to a near standstill, to prevent them from carrying out their legislative agenda. The Likud party is insisting that because of health ministry restrictions on gatherings of more than 10 persons, the Knesset’s key Arrangements Committee should have that many members, split evenly between the opposing blocs.