Israeli lawmakers approve committee to debate Netanyahu immunity

Members of the Israeli Parliament's Arrangements Committee approved the formation of the House Committee -- a legislative body which will deliberate an immunity request from Israel's caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The lawmakers with Likud and other right-wing parties stormed out of the room amid a heated debate on the legality of the gathering, paving the way to a 16-1 vote overruling a prior vote that granted Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein the power to pick members of the House Committee. 

At the start of the gathering, panel chair Avi Nissenkorn (Blue & White party) urged lawmakers to abstain from trying to sabotage the discussion on immunity.

Now, the committee is set to convene later on in the day to start staffing the House Committee as Blue & White looks to hasten deliberations over the issue of immunity for Netanyahu. 

Earlier, the alliance threatened to oust Speaker Edelstein after alleging he was protracting the process when he requested two legal opinions from the parliament's counsel regarding the legality of the proceedings in a caretaker parliament.

The move comes a day after the Knesset's legal adviser said that Edelstein, a member of Netanyahu's Likud Party, did not have the power to block the Arrangements Committee from being formed, delivering a huge blow to the prime minister. 

Netanyahu had hoped the process could be delayed until after Israel's election on March 2. Now, the Netanyahu faces the prospect of being the first Israeli prime minister to face trial during an election campaign.