Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu promptly rejected a compromise proposal on Wednesday that
was intended to end the impasse over his ambitions to reform the legal system
of the country, escalating the situation and drawing international ire.
Isaac Herzog, the
nation's symbolic leader, announced the deal in a speech that was broadcast
nationwide.
After more than two
months of widespread opposition to Netanyahu's plan, Herzog, whose ceremonial
post is intended to function as both a national unifier and moral compass,
announced the proposal. He claimed to have consulted with a wide range of
citizens and stated that finding a middle ground is essential to Israel's
future.
Anyone who believes
that a true civil war, involving human lives, is a limit we will not cross
"has no concept," according to Herzog. He stated that "the abyss
is at touching distance."
But Netanyahu rejected
it without delay. Before leaving for Germany, Netanyahu remarked at Israel's
biggest international airport, "Unfortunately, the coalition
representatives did not agree to the things the president outlined. And the
proposal's core ideas merely serve to maintain the status quo and fail to
achieve the required balance between the branches. That is the regrettable
reality.
Under Netanyahu's
proposal, the legislature would have the power to overrule Supreme Court
rulings and grant his parliamentary coalition final approval authority over all
judicial appointments.
Netanyahu's backers
contend that the measure is necessary to rein in the unelected judges'
allegedly overwhelming power. Its opponents claim that by consolidating power
in the hands of Netanyahu and his ruling coalition, it would dismantle the
nation's system of checks and balances. Additionally, they claim that
Netanyahu, who is facing corruption allegations, has an interest conflict.
Both sides received
rewards from Herzog's suggestion. Supreme Court decisions could not be
overturned by Parliament. The "Fundamental Laws," which function as a
form of constitution, are substantial pieces of legislation, but courts would
not be permitted to invalidate them. Fundamental Laws, however, would need a
parliamentary supermajority in order to be approved as opposed to a simple
majority.
A group made up of
coalition and opposition parliamentarians, judges, and elected officials would
be responsible for making judicial selections. No one party would have a veto
power over appointments, which would require broad agreement.
This drought is not
the president's. It is the country's drought, Herzog stated. "There is
neither a winning side nor a losing side."
The opposition Labor
party's leader, Merav Michaeli, praised the idea and claimed that Netanyahu's
rejection of it demonstrates that he "is not for legal reform but for
judicial subversion."