Adv.Tomer Naor: “A prime minister accused of crimes is forbidden from holding a ministerial position for even a moment”
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel wrote yesterday, Tuesday 22 January, to the prime minister and the attorney general, demanding they immediately appoint substitutes to the positions left by ministers from the Otzma Yehudit/Jewish Power party who resigned from the government following the hostage deal.
The resignation of the Otzma Yehudit ministers has already taken effect, but their replacements have not yet been appointed – which automatically makes the prime minister the holder of these portfolios, including as the minister of national security. According to the Movement, Prime Minister Netanyahu cannot hold the portfolios of the resigning ministers, since in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling on the Deri-Pinhasi case, appointing a minister against whom there are serious indictments is extremely unreasonable.
In addition, the prime minister acting as minister of national security, even if temporarily, is completely contrary to the conflict of interest settlement he signed, according to which he must have no involvement in decisions concerning the law enforcement system, including the Israel Police.
The Movement demands that the prime minister refrain from violating court rulings and his binding conflict of interest agreement, and act immediately to appoint new ministers to replace those who resigned, in order to protect good governance and the rule of law in the State of Israel.
Adv. Tomer Naor, head of the legal department at the Movement for Quality Government in Israel: “A prime minister accused of crimes is forbidden from holding a ministerial position for even a moment. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel has warned many times of the problems associated with a person accused of crimes forming a government, and accordingly the Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, ruled that the prime minister will be subject to a binding conflict of interest agreement. The prime minister must respect the agreement and act according to it, otherwise he will be considered as violating the Supreme Court ruling “.
