Bitan banned from voting on police bill in committee

The Knesset legal adviser Eyal Yinon says coalition whip David Bitan and other lawmakers currently under police investigation may not vote on the police recommendation bill in committee due to a conflict of interest.

Bitan, grilled by police on Sunday, is listed alongside Joint (Arab) List MKs Hanin Zoabi, Jamal Zahalka, and Juma Azbarga as barred from voting in committee. This directive, in practice, only applies to Bitan, who sits on both the Internal Affairs Committee — which will finalize the legislation on Monday — and the House Committee.

But Yinon allows politicians embroiled in police proceedings, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Welfare Minister Haim Katz, Bitan, and Joint List MKs to vote on the police recommendations bill in the plenum — if they declare they are the subject of a criminal investigation.

Yinon had previously said Netanyahu and Katz may not vote on the bill in the plenum.