Finance Committee Chairman MK Moshe Gafni, who heads the Degel Hatorah faction of the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement that the Override Clause is now off the table.
In an interview with Yated Ne'eman, Gafni said, "Netanyahu told his opinion to the newspaper, but I have clarified to him that our silence is not assent. We continue to stand by our view that the agreement we signed with the Likud at the formation of the government be fully honored."
Gafni noted, "Even in the Likud itself, they wanted and demanded the Override Clause. And so we will insist that it happen. I explained to Netanyahu that we are not waging battles and we are not going to the media for every statement or interview, and therefore he did not hear responses from us, and we also did not respond to these things."
Earlier this week, Netanyahu told the Wall Street Journal that parts of the judicial reform will pass, but the Override Clause is off the table. In a meeting of the coalition party heads, Netanyahu said that he has not fully given up on the intention to advance the legislation of the Override Clause.
At that meeting as well, Gafni told Netanyahu, "The fact that we did not respond to your interview on the Override Clause should not be interpreted by you as 'silence is as assent.' Don't think that we are silent and agreeing that there should not be an Override Clause."