Israel’s High Court of Justice has refused an attempt to keep Benjamin Netanyahu from taking the office of prime minister should his party win the snap election in March, over the corruption charges against him.

A petition signed by 67 former government officials asked the court to rule that Netanyahu would not be fit for forming a new government due to his being prosecuted. The court ruled that it indeed had the power to rule on the matter, contrary to claims from the Likud party’s lawyers, but refused to do so before the outcome of the election is clear.

It clears the way for Netanyahu to run in the snap election, but his theoretical premiership remains in question. The court pointed out that even if Likud wins the mandate to form the next Israeli government, its incumbent leader may not be the person who would be tasked with the job.

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Netanyahu is currently seeking immunity from prosecution, which may be given him by the Knesset. However, even some of his allies in the previous snap election said they were not willing to grant this to him.

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