Bennett, Liberman Lay Out Plans to Pass Laws Against Netanyahu Right After the Election

Opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman laid out a legislative plan Friday that they say they intend to put into motion the moment a new government is sworn in after the October 27 election, The Times of Israel reported. Bennett said the plan was to "swear in the government at 7 p.m. and immediately hold the first meeting in the Knesset," using that first session to launch a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding October 7.

Among the measures the two say they would pursue immediately: an eight-year term limit on the premiership, and a "defendants' law" barring anyone facing active criminal charges from serving as prime minister, a provision clearly aimed at Netanyahu, who is currently on trial.

Netanyahu's camp dismissed the plan as premature, with the prime minister telling supporters the race remains competitive and urging them to turn out. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, for his part, used the moment to question Netanyahu's judgment on security matters, saying flatly, "I don't trust Netanyahu on security matters. He cannot be trusted," pointing to speculation that military action against Iran could be timed to disrupt the vote.

Polling ahead of the election continues to show neither the government nor opposition bloc reaching the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority on its own, leaving plans like Bennett and Liberman's contingent on a coalition picture that is still very much unsettled.