Jordanian Duplicity
There is a raging memefest in the Arab world about the Jordanian King Abdullah II. One of the most caustic meme images is of the Arab King wearing an Israeli Military uniform.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced that he would ask the Knesset or Parliament for immunity to avoid being brought to trial in three corruption cases.
During a live address, Netanyahu said, “I intend to make a request to the speaker of the Knesset”.
“Would be in line with the law… (and) with the goal of continuing to serve you, for the future of Israel”, PM added.
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The announcement came just hours before the deadline for requesting such immunity, the last resort remaining to Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister to dodge – or at least delay – trial on bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases brought against him by Israel’s attorney general in November.
During his speech, PM Netanyahu is the leader of Israel’s right-wing Likud party, denounced what he called a campaign of “incitement” against him and emphasized that the immunity law seeks to protect elected politicians from “invented” lawsuits and to guarantee that they may continue serving in the posts to which they were elected.
Netanyahu’s downfall has been predicted multiple times since he was elected for a second term in 2009, but he has defied expectations and beaten off multiple potential rivals.
On Wednesday, PM Netanyahu was in the middle of a campaign event in Ashkelon at the time and was forced to evacuate to a bomb shelter along with the dozens of supporters in the room.
Earlier in August, Israel struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip after a rocket attack on its territory.
Last week, it saw a series of mortar and rocket attacks, as well as several attempts by Palestinians to breach the border fence separating Israel and the Gaza Strip.
On Tuesday the country’s supreme court is expected to hold a hearing on whether a prime minister that has been indicted can form a government.
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