By Michael Bachner, Times of Israel—
The Blue and White party has done extensive research on the possible ramifications of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taking a leave of absence if he is indicted in any of the three pending corruption cases against him, and the issue is likely to come up during Sunday’s meeting between the Blue and White’s and Likud’s negotiation teams, a report said Thursday.
Immediately after receiving the mandate to form a government from President Reuven Rivlin on Wednesday evening, Gantz began speaking with party leaders and inviting them to meet to negotiate their potential entry into the Blue and White-led coalition he hopes to establish, while also setting up meetings between his party’s negotiating team and other parties’ counterparts.
The idea of Netanyahu taking a leave of absence — part of Rivlin’s proposed compromise for a unity government in which both would take turns as prime minister — and rival Benny Gantz replacing him during that time could take on several interpretations, Channel 13 reported.
If Netanyahu were to stop acting as premier the moment Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announces charges against him, that could happen before a government is even formed. But if he were to do so only when the indictment is read out in court, that could take many months, since Netanyahu would ask the Knesset for immunity and deliberations could be lengthy. Continue Reading….