President Rivlin On Wednesday spoke with Speaker of the Knesset about the importance of maintaining ongoing parliamentary activity and was updated on the challenges in light of the corona crisis.
The Knesset plenum session was officially closed after less than one minute due to disagreements between the two major factions preventing the establishment of critical committees.
"The ongoing dispute about opening the Knesset harms our shared fight against corona,” Rivlin said, “and particularly when we are on an emergency footing, the Knesset plays a crucial role, "Rivlin said.
The president told the Speaker of the Knesset that he is full of admiration for him and his work over the years and that he is sure that no-one holds Israeli democracy more dearly than he does, as someone who has fought for the Zionist idea his whole life and has paid a heavy personal price for doing so. “I know you, as the
successor of all former speakers, will guard the status of the Knesset as a beacon of democracy, particularly at this time,” said the president.
Edelstein told the president he hoped the disputes would be resolved quickly.
“The gaps between the sides are not great and Israeli citizens deserve that their elected representatives work for them and oversee the work of the government. There is no reason to drag this out,” he said.
However a second attempt at conducting a plenum session also failed and the Knesset was adjourned for the day after only three minutes.
Teams from both the major factions are continuing to meet but have not yet managed to resolve the issues that some in the Blue & White leadership, see as Netanyahu's efforts to block attempts by Blue & White to assume leadership of critical committees that could affect the prime minister's chances to continue in his job in light of the criminal corruption charges that have been filed against him.
Yair Lapid, a member of the party's leadership posted on his Twitter account his wonder that not one member of Netanyahu's coalition seemed concerned about the anti-democratic maneuvers by their leader.
First published: 17:51, 03.18.20