So, Netanyahu decide to revoke his request for immunity, saying that it was a done deal and he would not have been given a fair shot in the committee, so he is withdrawing the request and will fight the accusations against him in court.
There are still suspicions being floated that he has more tricks up his sleeve for the future, but for now we can take it for what it is. I think.
The news this morning said that with Netanyahu pulling the request, he, or the Likud, is requesting, or demanding, that the indictment only be served after the elections. Technically, Mandelblit can serve the indictment whenever he is ready and wants to - even today - and then the trial can get started according to whatever timeline the courts work with.
I don't know what will be decided about the timing of the indictment. We wait and see. (UPDATE: this post was written this morning. Early this afternoon the indictment was served)
I would say, though, that I see no reason to wait until after the elections. Netanyahu does not want it to be used against him in the Kachol Lavan election campaign, and I get that. If the elections we are having were normal elections, I might say that it seems fair to wait, though I also see the argument against waiting then too. With the elections so close, let the political side of it compete on ideas and politics. Even though it is fair for the legal issues to be considered as well, I would be fine with waiting a little bit.
However, because our election situation is not normal, things are different. This is the third election within the year. And who knows if a government will be formed after this one, and if we will find ourselves in a fourth election campaign within a few months after the candidates all fail to form a coalition again? So then we will have to wait until after the fourth election? and then wait until after the fifth?
I hope we get out of this stalemate at some point, but considering the situation we currently find ourselves in, I see waiting as being being not feasible or reasonable.
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