Israel judicial overhaul plan frozen as opposition accuses Netanyahu of ‘lying’ 

Israel’s far-right coalition’s plans to overhaul the judiciary has officially been frozen until the formation of the Judicial Selection Committee, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has failed to complete.

Opposition leader and Yesh Atid Chairman, Member of the Knesset Yair Lapid, and National Unity MK Benny Gantz argued in a press conference yesterday that Netanyahu had failed to ensure the completion of the committee and therefore there was no point in progressing with the talks.

“His conduct … raises a large question over his ability to control the coalition and respect agreements. In the current state of affairs, where there is no committee functioning as required, there is no point in holding talks at the President’s Residence,” Gantz said.

This comes after Karine Elharrar of the centrist Yesh Atid Party secured one of the two committee seats but Tally Gotliv of Netanyahu’s Likud Party lost, paving the way for another vote on the second seat within 30 days, Knesset Speaker, Amir Ohana, announced.

In response, Lapid accused Netanyahu of being a liar and preventing the establishment of the committee and “putting an end to the pretence that he was open to negotiations.”

He added, “Netanyahu used to be strong and a liar, now he is weak and a liar. The committee has not been established, and the threat to our democracy has not been removed.”

Lapid said that Netanyahu had “promised the president to establish the committee” but “collapsed under the pressure of his partners,” including ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Advocates of the suspended overhaul, which grants almost complete control of bench appointments to the right-wing coalition government, say the Supreme Court is elitist, left-leaning and overreaching, and that elected officials should have more power in picking judges.

Opponents say this would politicise and weaken a strong Supreme Court that plays a major role in Israel’s democratic checks and balances; maintaining a separation between the judiciary and state. They also point out that the planned changes come as Netanyahu faces several counts of corruption.

READ: Has the Israeli government’s opportunity to reform the judiciary passed?