JERUSALEM – Israel's high court was set Sunday to begin hearing petitions against Benjamin Netanyahu forming a government while facing criminal indictments.
The proceedings, held by an exceptionally large panel of 11 justices and in a rare instance to also be broadcast live, will focus on the issue of whether an politician can form a government while under indictment — something the Israeli legal code does not explicitly prohibit.
If the court voids Netanyahu’s ability to serve as prime minister, Israel could be plunged into political chaos, and it would likely trigger the country’s fourth consecutive election in just over 12 months.