Israel: opposition leader demands reform freeze to allow return to negotiations

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has set an 18-month freeze on the government’s judicial overhaul as a condition for returning to negotiations on the proposed reforms and agreeing on a law that is backed by the ruling coalition as well as the opposition, Israeli National News has reported. Lapid made his comment in the Knesset.

During that freeze, he explained, it would be possible to enact laws that are related to judicial oversight and separation of powers, but only if backed by a two-thirds majority of Knesset Members in order to ensure real consensus between the government and the opposition.

Lapid added that the coalition and the opposition were close to reaching an agreement regarding the “Reasonableness Law”. He accused the Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin, and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir of having thwarted such an agreement.

“On Monday, both the president and I thought that there was an agreement ready to be signed,” Israeli National News quoted Lapid as saying. “But then Yariv Levin and Ben-Gvir banged on the table and threatened to dissolve the government.”

According to the opposition leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got scared and gave in to them, allowing the Reasonableness Law to be passed in the “most extreme” version possible. “From the moment the law passed, the government is talking about returning to the negotiations. This is what the term ‘adding insult to injury’ refers to. How can we return to talking to you? This moment, you proved we can’t believe you.”

READ: Iran agents attempted to lure Israelis to obtain intelligence