Israel’s parliament speaker steps down

Netanyahu’s ally Yuli Edelstein resigns as speaker of Israeli parliament, clearing the way for vote that could see him replaced by rival of embattled PM.

JERUSALEM - The speaker of Israel's parliament, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, resigned on Wednesday, clearing the way for a vote that could see him replaced by a rival of the embattled premier.

Yuli Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, had refused to schedule a speakership vote until a new government was formed, but stood down after the Supreme Court set a Wednesday deadline for the vote to take place.

"I hereby resign from my position as speaker of the Knesset," or parliament, Edelstein said, in a move that could see a member of the Centrist Blue and White party become speaker in the coming days.

Edelstein had suspended parliamentary activities last week, citing procedural issues and restrictions on large gatherings due to the spread of the coronavirus. But opponents accused him of blocking a vote after his right-wing bloc failed to win a majority in March 2 elections.

He dismissed a Supreme Court call to explain his delay in convening the Israeli Knesset, or parliament, and that sparked an unprecedented judicial rebuttal, with the Supreme Court chief justice ordering him to hold a vote.

With other top members of Netanyahu's Likud party urging him to defy the order, he responded that he would “not agree to an ultimatum” and resigned instead.

“The Supreme Court decision destroys the work of the Knesset. The Supreme Court decision marks a harsh and arrogant intervention of the judicial branch in the affairs of the elected legislative branch," Edelstein charged in his last appearance as speaker.

He said he would step down so as not to allow Israel to “descend to anarchy”.