TheFrontPageCover
~ Featuring ~
Netanyahu asks Knesset for immunity
from prosecution, delaying indictment
by Raoul Wootliff
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Secretary Pompeo Cancels Travel Plans
to Remain Focused on Iraq Crisis
by sundance
{ theconservativetreehouse.com } ~ At the time of a Tuesday evening Fox News interview Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was affirming his trip to Ukraine was still planned. However, by the time Pompeo woke up on Wednesday morning those plans were cancelled…Perhaps someone told the secretary he needed to stay-attached to the crisis he helped inspire? U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday postponed a trip to Ukraine so he could focus on the situation in Iraq after demonstrators attacked the U.S. embassy. Supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups stormed the U.S. embassy’s perimeter and hurled rocks in two days of protests. They withdrew on Wednesday after Washington dispatched extra troops and threatened reprisals against Tehran. Pompeo postponed his trip to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Cyprus “due to the need for the Secretary to be in Washington, D.C., to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement. On Tuesday evening Pompeo had told Fox News the Ukraine trip was still on. https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/01/01/secretary-pompeo-cancels-travel-plans-to-remain-focused-on-iraq-crisis/ .
Netanyahu quits ministerial positions
By GIL HOFFMAN
{ jpost.com } ~Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced shortly before midnight on Wednesday that he was quitting his cabinet posts because of his criminal indictments... Facing a High Court of Justice petition, Netanyahu announced on December 12 that he would drop all his portfolios on January 1 other then his role as prime minister. Beside being prime minister, Netanyahu was social welfare minister, Diaspora affairs minister and acting agricultural minister. He was also the health minister – until Sunday, when the cabinet approved the promotion of deputy health minister Ya’acov Litzman (United Torah Judaism). The Movement for Quality Government in Israel had threatened a lawsuit for shaming the court if Netanyahu did not quit by Wednesday night. Netanyahu left on Thursday morning for Greece and will only be back on Sunday, which is the earliest possible day that new ministers can be appointed. Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely will be appointed Diaspora affairs minister after receiving a promise from Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Asher Hayon. Candidates for the Agriculture Ministry are MKs David Bitan and Nir Barkat. Shas sources said that MK Meshulam Nahari is a likely candidate for welfare minister. The resignations will only take effect 48 hours after they were issued at 11:45 p.m. on Wednesday night. Because the 25 hours of Shabbat are not counted, Netanyahu technically still remains in all three posts until Sunday....
Happy New Year! commie-Ocasio-Cortez's
seat in Congress may vanish
By Joe Kovacs
{ wnd.com } ~ As the year 2020 rings in, one of the most controversial names in American politics may soon lose her seat in the House of Representatives... That well-known leftist figure is U.S. Rep. commie-Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. With this being the year of the 2020 Census, it's possible the Democrat's district could be completely eliminated. "New York is expected to lose a House seat after the 2020 Census, and state Democrats are looking to draw out @commie-AOC's district," pollster Frank Luntz tweeted on New Year's Eve. Luntz attached his comment to a story from the local New York City magazine known as the City, which proffered the notion that commie-Ocasio-Cortez is intensifying her efforts to persuade her constituents to fill out the Census to help keep her in office. "Our strategy is all about building trust in the community before the enumerators even come to your door," commie-Ocasio-Cortez told the magazine. "There's been an increased use of one's immigration status as a form of intimidation." A whopping 47 percent of the residents in commkie-AOC's district are foreign born, and many may fear filling out any official government count... https://www.wnd.com/2020/01/happy-new-year-ocasio-cortezs-house-seat-may-vanish/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=wnd-breaking&utm_campaign=breaking&utm_content=breaking .
ABC News Fears American People
Might Interfere in 2020 U.S. Election
by sundance
{ theconservativetreehouse.com } ~ Despite the initial reaction a stable-minded person would likely take away from the headline, it is a good thing that ABC News and other MSM have dropped their pretense and shallow-efforts to retain their open secrets... In this example while lamenting the outcome of the recent U.K. election that saw the socialists and leftists crushed by conservative and pragmatic voters, ABC is concerned the American people may end up similarly interfering in media objectives for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The problem they discover is this pesky concept called “freedom”.Consider this argument from the article: “One of the things that we’re always very cautious about is everyone looking at Russia. But actually, we should be looking at the party and political dynamics closer to home and how domestic actors are using the platforms and manipulating the systems to spread information or misinformation that’s favorable to their political stance.” I mean seriously. Can you imagine a world where U.S. politicians easily spread information favorable to their political stance. Oh.My.God…The outcome is almost unimaginable….People, allowed to think for themselves. Yikes, the horror of it. https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/01/01/abc-news-fears-american-people-might-interfere-in-2020-u-s-election/ .
Gregg Jarrett says McConnell should hold impeachment trial -- without liar-Pelosi's OK
By Victor Garcia
{ foxnews.com } ~ Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett blasted House Speaker liar-Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday for not sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial... and saying that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., should proceed with an impeachment trial without the Democratic leader's involvement. "The framers never envisioned a stunt pulled by a speaker of the House like liar-Nancy Pelosi holding onto articles of impeachment. Two decades ago it was sent over immediately, within minutes. There was a vote to convey and transmit it," Jarrett said on "Hannity." "The Constitution is actually silent about that. It doesn't say that the Senate has to wait until it's transmitted. It's simply a Senate rule." Jarrett advised McConnell to "alter the rule" and proceed with an impeachment trial. "Mitch McConnell shouldn't be subjecting himself to the extortion of liar-Nancy Pelosi," Jarrett said to guest host Tammy Bruce. "He can, beginning in January, simply alter the rule or eliminate it entirely and set a date for an impeachment trial." President Trump tore into House Democrats this week over their handling of the impeachment process, calling them "hypocrites" and "liars" for allegedly seeking concessions in the Senate that Republicans were not afforded in the House -- and for hitting pause on impeachment after previously portraying it as an urgent matter. Jarrett said McConnell could just ignore impeachment but that liar-Pelosi could use the articles to hurt Trump. "Mitch McConnell can say, 'Well, if you're not going to send them over, I don't care. We're not we're not going to deal with it,'" Jarrett said. "liar-Nancy Pelosi, though, could then use it as a cudgel to hit Trump over the head at every turn -- add things to it." "Simply change the rule, hold a trial, do it. Do it on your own terms," Jarrett advised McConnell. https://www.foxnews.com/media/gregg-jarrett-says-mcconnell-can-move-forward-with-impeachment-trial-without-pelosi .
Judicial Watch Sues CIA And DOJ For
Information On Alleged Whistleblower
By Sara Carter
{ saraacarter.com } ~ Judicial Watch announced Friday that it filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits against both the Department of Justice and CIA for information on the whistleblower... whose complaint led to the House Democratic impeachment of President Donald Trump. According to numerous reports the alleged whistleblower is CIA employee Eric Ciaramella. Ciarmella allegedly worked on Ukraine issues while on detail to both President scumbag/liar-nObama and President Trump administrations. The whistleblower did not have first hand knowledge of any of the allegations submitted in the report to the Intelligence Community’s Inspector General and was protected by Democrats in the committee from testifying. There is significant public interest, thanks to the scumbag/liar-nObama Spygate scandal and the related abusive impeachment of President Trump, in what Eric Ciaramella was up to, Tom Fitton. Ciaramella’s name was circulating during the House impeachment proceedings and many Republican lawmakers wanted to call on him to testify, according to numerous Congressional sources. The sources stipulated that none of the Congressional members named Ciaramella publicly because of protections granted whistleblowers... https://saraacarter.com/judicial-watch-sues-cia-and-doj-for-information-on-alleged-whistleblower/?utm_source=Darkwire+Inc&utm_campaign=16950ed04e-Jan+1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5f3d745e4f-16950ed04e-283256057 .
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Netanyahu asks Knesset for immunity
from prosecution, delaying indictment
by Raoul Wootliff
{ timesofisrael.com } ~ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially announced Wednesday night that he would ask the Knesset for immunity from prosecution in the three criminal cases against him.
Netanyahu made the statement in a nationally televised appearance four hours before a midnight deadline, defending the decision as protection from “trumped-up charges.”
“In order to continue to lead Israel to great achievements, I intend to approach the speaker of the Knesset in accordance with chapter 4C of the law (Hebrew link), in order to fulfill my right, my duty and my mission to continue to serve you for the future of Israel,” he said.
An official request was later submitted to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein from a law firm retained by Netanyahu.
Moments after the announcement, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman announced his party would oppose immunity, drastically complicating Netanyahu’s prospects of winning the necessary 61 votes he will need. But the request effectively freezes the criminal process against him until the Knesset rules on the matter — a process which, due to parliament’s dissolution last month ahead of new elections, could buy Netanyahu several months until a formal indictment can be filed with the Jerusalem District Court.
The premier has been charged with fraud and breach of trust in three criminal cases and bribery in one of them.
Days after giving a speech in which he defended immunity as a “cornerstone of democracy,” the prime minister repeated his claims that he was the victim of persecution by authorities, and asserted that “immunity is intended to protect elected representatives from trumped up charges. It was intended to ensure that those elected by the people can serve the people, according to the will of the people.”
The ask essentially sets up the upcoming March 2 election as a referendum on Netanyahu and his legal troubles. The Likud leader’s allies have presented the judicial proceedings as an undemocratic attempt to remove him from power and have begun campaigning on the idea of voting Likud as a way of protecting the prime minister from prosecution.
Touting his accomplishments as prime minister over the past decade, Netanyahu said: “I intend to keep leading Israel for many more years to historic achievements which I am working towards day and night… achievements we could once only dream of and which are now within reach.” He vowed to stop Iran, set Israel’s permanent borders, sign a defense pact with the US, obtain more peace agreements with Arab states, and extend Israeli sovereignty into the territories.
The premier’s announcement came after months in which he has remained evasive when questioned about his intentions on the matter, and in one case told Channel 12 during an interview “no way,” when asked if he would make any move to thwart his indictment.
On Wednesday he defended that statement, saying he continued to stand behind his words and insisting he would not avoid an eventual day in court.
“Immunity is always temporary. It is canceled at the end of the term of the Knesset that gave it. By law there is no way for anyone to avoid prosecution. So when I was asked by Channel 12 ‘Will you push for a law or move that will prevent you from being prosecuted?’ I said no. Tonight I once again say ‘No way.’ I did not advance any law or change any law. I intend to go to court and destroy all the preposterous claims against me [after leaving office].”
He once again alluded to a conspiracy against him, accusing authorities of engaging in “trumped-up charges, selective enforcement, blackmail of state’s witnesses” and more. He claimed exonerating information was “being held in the shadows under gag orders and attorney general decisions.”
Under a 2005 change to the Knesset immunity law, members of the legislature no longer receive automatic immunity from prosecution but must request it from the plenum when relevant. Netanyahu is apparently planning to base his petition on clauses in the immunity law that allow an MK to ask for protection from prosecution under the claim that an indictment has been filed in “bad faith” or while discriminating against the defendant, and/or that prosecution would counter the will of the electorate.
Despite Netanyahu’s assertion that any immunity would be temporary, his actual request sent to Edelstein indicated otherwise: the prime minister’s lawyers wrote he was asking for functional immunity in one of the three cases against him as well as in certain aspects of another. Functional immunity protects parliamentarians from prosecution for things they did in fulfilling their parliamentary work, and is permanent, rather than temporary. Procedural immunity is temporary, and has to do with offenses committed by a parliamentarian that are unrelated to his parliamentary work.
Netanyahu’s attorneys, in their request to the Knesset speaker, asserted that his actions in Case 2000 — in which he is suspected of an illicit quid pro quo deal with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes that would weaken a rival daily — fell under the purview of functional immunity as “all that is attributed to him in this charge was done by the prime minister as part of his work as a Knesset member.”
They also said his alleged attempts to extend tax exemptions for returning expats to aid billionaire Arnon Milchan, under Case 1000, deserved functional immunity “as here too the indictment attributes actions to the prime minister carried out as part of his work as a Knesset member, in the framework of reviewing potential legislation.”
Issuing a scathing response even before Netanyahu’s presser was over, Liberman said his party would oppose the immunity request.
“Now it is clear beyond doubt. The only thing that has interested and interests Netanyahu is immunity,” Liberman wrote in a Facebook post. “The State of Israel has become a hostage to Netanyahu’s personal problem. He doesn’t care about left or right, religious or secular. The only thing that concerns him is a coalition for immunity. The rest is old wives’ tales.”
Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz said Netanyahu’s announcement showed the premier “knows he is guilty.” Gantz said his party would push for the establishment of the Knesset House Committee so the immunity request can be debated by parliament quickly.
Gantz said the country now faced a choice between “the Kingdom of Netanyahu… or the State of Israel.”
Netanyahu’s announcement came four hours before his midnight deadline to make the request or forfeit his right to do so. Some reports suggested that the decision came down to the wire, with the premier’s inner circle deeply uncertain about the move.
Reports on Channel 12, Channel 13 and Kan said Netanyahu’s advisers were concerned that an immunity request, seen as unpopular among the general public, could hurt the prime minister’s chances in the March 2 election and make him less likely to be able to cobble together a majority coalition following the national poll — a feat he also failed to achieve in 2019’s two elections.
The prime minister is far from assured of getting majority support for immunity and many pundits believe his bid will not succeed. But failing to make the request would have meant the criminal process against him would immediately move forward.
His request must now by weighed by the Knesset House Committee before it can be voted upon by the plenum, but due to the lack of a functioning legislature amid ongoing political deadlock, and with new elections set, there is currently no functioning House Committee. The Knesset will thus likely only be able to review and decide on his request after a coalition is formed — if it is finally formed — following the March 2 vote.
Netanyahu’s chief rivals in the Knesset, the Blue and White party, are seeking to expedite the process. Party MK Avi Nissenkorn has asked Knesset Speaker Edelstein to swiftly call a meeting of the Knesset Arrangements Committee, which Nissenkorn heads, to discuss the possibility of forming a House Committee under the special circumstances to discuss Netanyahu’s request.
The matter is legally contentious, and led recently to mud-slinging and arguments as to whether the Arrangements Committee has the authority to form a House Committee during a transitional government.
Blue and White complained Wednesday that Edelstein was delaying the process, responding that he was abroad until the weekend, and wished to meet with the Knesset’s legal adviser before reviewing Nissenkorn’s request.
“Edelstein’s response is a shameful attempt to prevent the Knesset from discussing Netanyahu’s immunity request. We would not have imagined that the Knesset speaker would use his statesman’s position to turn the Israeli Knesset into a shelter [from prosecution],” Blue and White said in a statement.
In recent days Netanyahu had described his right to immunity as “a cornerstone of democracy.”
A request from the Knesset for immunity is seen as unpopular among voters, even among many of the prime minister’s supporters. A poll published Sunday evening by Channel 12 news found that 51 percent of Israelis oppose such a move, while only 33% support it.
Channel 13 television news reported Monday that Netanyahu had already formulated his request and informed Edelstein of his intention to submit it.
The unsourced television report said that Netanyahu wrote in the letter that he would be willing to face criminal prosecution, but only after he left political life.
He reportedly argued that trying him now would compromise the will of the electorate and harm the Knesset, since many of the witnesses in the trial are current lawmakers; that it would discriminate against him, since indictments haven’t been filed against other politicians; and that the charges were announced in “bad faith,” since Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit made his decision too soon after the pre-indictment hearing, and the process was marred by numerous leaks to the press.
Edelstein’s office rejected the report, with a spokesperson telling The Times of Israel late Monday: “No request has been made.”
Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu’s staff invited the media to a live statement to the press for 8 p.m., only to cancel it just half an hour later. Netanyahu was believed to have planned to formally announce he would be seeking immunity.
It was not immediately clear why Netanyahu canceled the announcement, which came shortly before hundreds of his supporters gathered Monday evening at Habima Square in Tel Aviv to protest against the criminal cases and support his immunity bid.
Mandelblit in November announced his intention to indict the prime minister in three corruption cases. Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust in all three cases, as well as bribery in one of them. He denies wrongdoing and has accused police and state prosecutors of an “attempted coup” against him.
In a related development, the High Court of Justice on Tuesday morning held a preliminary hearing on whether a lawmaker facing criminal indictment can be tapped to form a coalition. Ruling against the possibility of tasking an indicted lawmaker with forming a government would immensely complicate Netanyahu’s position. The court indicated its wariness on making such a fateful ruling during the election period and after concluding the session said that a decision would be handed down at a later date.
The cloud of corruption charges hanging over the premier is widely seen as one of the chief reasons he has failed to form a government in the wake of two elections in 2019. Blue and White has repeatedly said it would not join a coalition under Netanyahu so long as he is suspected of criminal wrongdoing.
Comments
Bonnie
There is alot of things that are going on that are hidden. We do know and act on guessing what is going to happen. Some are true and some are not. But I do feel a little hesitate about McConnell as you do and the tyranny liar-Pelosi.
i am no great rah rah fan of McConnell but he is up for re-election that alone is a great mover for any politician.
he is not stupid he knows how popular the pres is lk at the economy . right its the economy stupid the market is booming. he knows he is the head of the senate and wants to keep it that way. pelosi is a tyrant she has NO say in the senate but she could care less. oh and FAIR my God where was that in the House impeachment whatever they called it.
She is a disaster and i think McConnell is planning he understands the consequences of this. and his job