On Tuesday morning, opposition leader Yair Lapid told 103FM that Israel’s opposition never sought to halt judicial reform deliberations at the President’s Residence.
“Netanyahu is giving in to [Justice Minister Yariv] Levin and [law committee chairman Simcha] Rothman in order to maintain his failing government,” Lapid stated.
Lapid stated the opposition never cancelled negotiations.
“We told them ‘pick a [opposition] representative for the [Judicial Selection] Committee, and we will continue the talks,'” he stated.
Lapid said that “their commitment to the president was freezing all legislation as long as we were negotiating at the President’s Residence,” making conversations pointless.
Lapid alleged the coalition broke its deal with the opposition.
“There was an agreement – we go vote in a [Judicial Selection] Committee and go back to negotiating,” he said. “They didn’t choose a committee because they got into one of their ridiculous disagreements.”
Netanyahu unilaterally reforms justice
On Sunday, Netanyahu indicated that the coalition will unilaterally pass judicial reform legislation, and later that evening, he convened the coalition leaders to discuss how to proceed without discussions.
The coalition started with the reasonability provision that would allow Shas leader Aryeh Deri to be a minister despite the High Court of Justice dismissing him. Wednesday’s bill committee vote should forward the measure to Knesset voting.
“They want to run over the court and fire the attorney general for the crime of being appointed by the previous government,” Lapid said of the plan to “return a convicted criminal to the government.”