Israeli opposition leader claims little progress on judicial reform negotiations. On Monday, Benny Gantz, president of one of the main opposition parties, said that Israeli parties had made no progress toward a compromise on the government’s fiercely disputed judicial overhaul program despite a month of meetings.
After Israel’s largest street protests, the planned overhaul, which would give the government control over Supreme Court judges and let parliament overrule many rulings, was halted.
President Isaac Herzog has led political party sessions to reconcile. The administration claims the revision is required to curb activist judges and balance parliament and the courts.
The previous defense minister Gantz claimed the negotiations were “not progressing on any of the issues.” He specifically mentioned a confrontation over the Judicial Selection Committee, which picks judges and would be controlled by government members under present arrangements.
We started with several principles, including no judicial partisanship. “It hasn’t changed and won’t change,” he remarked after the Knesset’s spring vacation.
Opponents fear the plans would eliminate key checks and balances and allow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition unfettered license, jeopardizing minority rights and Israel’s democratic underpinnings.
Since January, thousands of demonstrators have marched weekly, including most of the business sector, attorneys, professors, and military reservists.
The army intervened when Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the divisions threatened national security and demanded a halt. Netanyahu fired Gallant following the comments but reversed course after an outrage.
The administration and allies hope for compromise but have organized major counterprotests.
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