Netanyahu, Gantz Face Scorned Partners’ Fury

The Israeli parliament is headed for troubled waters this week as two bills introduced by the opposition on Sunday are expected to cause a stir on the Knesset floor. The right-wing Yemina party, headed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s former allies Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, will bring to a vote the “override clause” amendment, meant to enable parliament to overrule Supreme Court decisions with a 61-vote majority. While the bill has no real chance of being approved, given the opposition to it from a number of parties, its main goal is to embarrass Netanyahu’s Likud party, which has endorsed such amendments in the past but is now unable to support them thanks to the coalition pact signed with the Blue and White party. In a symmetrical move, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz’s former partner, Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, will propose to form an investigative committee that would look into Netanyahu’s alleged shady shipyard dealings. A slew of former security chiefs, spanning the military, Mossad, Shin Bet and Defense Ministry, have come out in recent months demanding that the prime minister be investigated for reportedly rigging military-equipment acquisition deals to profit his relatives and himself. Gantz promised to initiate such a committee during the recent election campaign. Yet now, as part of Netanyahu’s government, the Blue and White leader will be forced to oppose the proposal. Both bills will be brought to a vote on Wednesday, as sparks are sure to fly. Popcorn and soda will be served in the Knesset stands.