Sources in the leading opposition Yesh Atid party denied that any deal was imminent, saying that such deals could only be made once the Judicial Selection Committee was actually convened and began functioning. Coalition sources also said that such a deal was not ready.<\/p>\n
The centerpiece of the government’s overhaul of the judicial system is a bill that would radically alter the Judicial Select Committee, giving the ruling coalition an integrated majority on the court and, by extension, almost complete control over the large most of the country’s judicial appointments, including the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
\nGet the daily edition of The Times of Israel<\/span> By registering, you agree to the terms<\/p>\n This bill could be approved at any time with two consecutive votes in the Knesset plenary. But the legislation was frozen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March in the wake of mass protests, while the election of two lawmakers to serve on the Judicial Selection Committee in its current format must legally be held by 15 june<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Thousands of Israelis protest the planned judicial review in Tel Aviv on April 29, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni\/Flash90)<\/p>\n Supreme Court Justice Esther Hayut will retire in October and deliberations on her replacement could begin immediately after the committee convenes.<\/p>\n But coalition sources have threatened to appoint two coalition MPs to the committee \u2014 instead of the usual coalition and one from the opposition \u2014 and not convene the panel even after they have selected the MPs.<\/p>\n According to the Haaretz report, the proposal being drafted by the president’s office would allow the coalition to allow an opposition lawmaker to be elected to the committee and convened.<\/p>\n In exchange, the opposition would make a public statement agreeing to allow the government to use independent representation in court proceedings against decisions made by the cabinet. Currently, if the attorney general objects to the government’s position on a policy matter that has been challenged in court, the government can only obtain independent legal advice if the attorney general agrees.<\/p>\n Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara speaks with Justice Minister Yariv Levin during a cabinet meeting, held at the Western Wall tunnels in Jerusalem’s Old City on May 21, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n In addition, negotiations on a Basic Law – the legislation would continue until the Knesset’s winter session, according to the report.<\/p>\n This law would include stricter requirements for approving or amending the basic laws that make up Israel’s quasi-constitution, meaning that any further changes to the system of government would require broad agreement in the Knesset and could not be made unilaterally by the current government or no future. government<\/p>\n Finally, changes to the government’s ability to obtain legal advice and the Basic Law: Legislation would be enacted sometime during the Knesset’s winter session, with further changes to the court system enacted after that.<\/p>\n MP Benny Gantz, leader of the opposition National Unity party, appeared to allude to such an agreement on Monday in a speech at the Herzliya Conference, where he said he hoped “we can move in the next period towards agreements that they will be the basis for advancing the legislation through a total consensus”.<\/p>\n But a Yesh Atid source denied any deal was imminent.<\/p>\n “If an opposition representative is elected to the Judicial Selection Commission and if the commission begins to work and appoint judges, then we can talk about agreements,” the source said.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) with the architects of the judicial review proposal Justice Minister Yariv Levin and MK Simcha Rothman (standing) in the Knesset on February 15, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n A government source also denied the report was accurate, describing it as “spin”.<\/p>\n The president’s office said in response: “Negotiations are continuing to try to reach an agreement, which has not yet been reached. Many options have emerged in the deliberations and all are being considered seriously and in detail.<\/p>\n \u201cWe regret that partial details are being leaked during the [negotiation] process, which creates an inaccurate and distorted picture and sabotages the effort to reach agreements. This is a very complex time for Israeli society, and those sitting in the negotiating room are expected to understand this and behave responsibly.”<\/p>\n You are a dedicated reader <\/p>\n \nWe are so glad you read X<\/span> Articles from the Times of Israel<\/strong> in the past month<\/span>\n<\/p>\n That’s why we started the Times of Israel eleven years ago, to provide discerning readers like you with must-see coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.<\/p>\n So now we have a request.<\/strong> Unlike other media outlets, we have not created a paywall. But because the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining. The Times of Israel community.<\/strong><\/p>\n For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel NO ADVERTISING<\/strong>as well as access exclusive content<\/strong> available only to members of the Times of Israel community.<\/p>\n Thanks, <\/p>\n Join our community <\/a> Join our community <\/a>
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