Netanyahu Vows to Make Renegade MK a Minister after Disqualification
3 min read
On Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the opposition proclaimed that if the Likud party does come to power, he would make Amichai Chikli, the renegade ex-lawmaker, a minister.
This announcement came a day after Chikli was disqualified by the Central Elections Committee from running on the slate of the Likud party in the upcoming elections in November.
The commitment
Netanyahu was conducting a campaign event in Ramle when he asked Chikli to join him on stage. The Likud party leader said that the ex-MK fought for justice and truth.
The former prime minister stated that those who do not want to see Chikli as an MK would have to accept him as minister.
It is permitted to appoint ministers in Israel, even if they are not elected in the Knesset. Chikli had entered the Knesset with the Yamina party last year.
He had been placed on the 14th spot on the electoral slate of the Likud party by Netanyahu before he was barred.
He was ejected from the Yamina faction due to his refusal for voting in favor of the coalition that had been formed by the party.
The petition and response
The Meretz party was responsible for the petition that was filed for knocking Chikli out of the election race.
According to the left-wing faction, the ex-MK had not resigned within the proper timeframe after he quit the Yamina party, so election bylaws dictate that he be barred from running in the November elections.
The Likud party responded to the decision of his disqualification by claiming that they would petition the High Court for overturning it.
There is a history of the High Court of overturning decisions that are made by the election panel in such situations.
On Thursday night, Netanyahu spoke at a number of campaign rallies and took Chikli’s lead in painting the Central Elections Committee as a politically biased one.
The conflict
The Likud leader said that the elections committee was sabotaging a right-wing government, even before its formation.
He asserted that they had barred Chikli, but allowed Ahmad Tibi who does not regard Hamas as a terrorist organization, and Ayman Odeh who regards Nasrallah as a great example.
Speaking to the crowd, the former premier said that the decisions of the elections committee were a ‘setup’ aimed at bringing down the right and supporting the left.
The National Unity Party’s Gideon Sa’ar slammed the comments of the opposition leader.
The Justice Minister called him and other Likud party leaders’ cowards for staying silent when the committee disqualified Ra’am and Balad parties.
Sa’ar also claimed that Netanyahu was trying to incite people against the Central Elections Committee. He said that if the Likud leader returned to power, he would destroy all state institutions.
As for Chikli, he had spoken up against his disqualification on Wednesday. His former Yamina colleague, Idit Silman had been permitted to run in the elections.
Meretz plans on petitioning the High Court to disqualify her as well, after the Central Elections Committee did not.
