Defense Minister Naftali Bennett (Yamina) on Wednesday said his party will fight an initiative by the Blue and White and Joint Arab List to pass a law that will prevent Israeli President Reuven Rivlin from tasking someone charged with criminal offenses from forming a government. "This initiative by [MK] Ahmad Tibi (Joint Arab List and [MK] Ofer Shelah (Blue and White) to pass the 'Law to Disqualify Netanyahu' is an extremely anti-democratic move, which spits in the face of half the country," Bennett said. "Elections were two days ago and they're already trying to bypass the will of the people by using inappropriate means. Yamina will stand completely against this process and we will fight it with all our might." Earlier on Wednesday, Tibi said he would support a law preventing someone who has been indicted from being asked to form a government. "We believe that a prime minister who is charged with bribery should resign," Tibi told 103 FM Radio. "The fact that Binyamin Netanyahu continues to hold onto his seat after such a serious indictment is bizarre. You can use the Knesset vote, that's the law. It's not a government, it's not a coalition. I think that's going to be the direction we take." "No one has shown us the bill yet," he said. "At this point I'm hearing about it in public, not from the people who are considering presenting it. If they present it to us, we will make a staff decision in the Joint Arab List, but we are in favor of a prime minister charged with bribery ending his time as prime minister - either by resigning, or because of a law [that is passed]."
