Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism party) said during a briefing for reporters Tuesday evening that he is prepared to make substantial compromises on the government's planned judicial reforms, depending on the actions of the opposition.
"The more MKs from the opposition give active support to the reform, the more compromises can be made," he said.
He stated that "the core of the reform is that the people choose the judges."
"They say that 'we rule' because we are the majority. But the truth must be told: my chances of being in the opposition [in the future] are very high. Look at how many years 'Religious Zionism' was in the opposition throughout [Israel's] history," he said.
MK Rothman said that his approach to reforming Israel's judicial system differs from that of Justice Minister Yariv Levin in a number of ways, such as on the 'reasonableness standard' which would be abolished under Minister Levin's version of the judicial reform bill.
Rothman is expected to meet later this evening with President Isaac Herzog to discuss the judicial reforms. The President is currently meeting with Opposition leader Yair Lapid to discuss these reforms.
He stated that he has not violated the President's request that the legislation not be advanced for a period to allow negotiations to be held on the issue. "The president did not say not to advance the legislation. He spoke of a first reading, and indeed the vote on the first reading in the plenary will not take place before next Monday."
He said that it was important not to postpone the legislation. "This legislation is important. Even before the elections, in the coalition agreements and even after the elections, we always said that the judicial reform is our primary demand. It would be a slap in the face to the voters if we stopped the legislation. Lapid's demand to stop the legislation is a political demand by the opposition for political gain. I will not give in to blackmailers [who just want] a political achievement. The protest is political. I am ready to meet with economists, with lawyers, these [meetings] can be held. But I will not be part of the opposition's political game."