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Chaos in Israel’s Knesset as speaker defies top court

The speaker of the Knesset rejects the Israeli High Court's firm suggestion that a vote be held for his position within two days; now the court must decide whether to order such a vote.
Yuli Edelstein, speaker of the Israeli Knesset, attends a plenum session at the lower house of parliament, Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, February 12, 2020.  REUTERS/Annegret Hilse - RC20ZE9C9HN6

Israel’s Knesset witnessed unprecedented political and legal drama the evening of March 23 as Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein refused to heed the directive set by the High Court to hold by March 25 a vote for his replacement.

Edelstein rebuffed the court, arguing that any intervention by the judicial authorities in the operation of the Knesset would be tainted as politically motivated. “I think that any intervention by the court with the judgment of the Knesset speaker on fixing the agenda of the plenum and setting up for vote for his replacement constitutes an unprecedented interference in the parliament’s agenda,” said Edelstein, declining to commit to a date for convening the Knesset plenum and holding the vote.

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