Supreme Court President Esther Hayut
Supreme Court President Esther HayutShir Torem/Flash 90

Amid the stormy discourse surrounding the legal reform proposed by the government, Supreme Court President Esther Hayut has made clear in closed conversations that she will not resign and will continue to fight the reform, Kan 11 News reported on Friday.

According to the report, Hayut also said in conversations with associates that she is determined to continue what she sees as a mission.

Earlier on Friday, the Yediot Aharonot newspaper reported that Hayut stated in a private meeting that she will resign from her post if the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary will be approved fully and unaltered by the Knesset. The Courts Administration denied the report.

Kan 11 noted that another working meeting between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Hayut is expected soon, but the tension and suspicion regarding the government's true willingness to soften the reform has not diminished.

Last week, Hayut, in an unusual statement, strongly criticized Levin's proposed judicial reforms.

"This is an unbridled attack on the judicial system, as if it were an enemy that must be attacked and subdued. This is a plan to crush the judicial system. It is designed to deal a fatal blow to the independence of the judiciary and turn it into a silent authority," Hayut said.

Levin later fired back, saying that Hayut’s criticism was proof that his proposes reforms are necessary.

"I am obliged to hold a comprehensive dialogue with the representatives of all sections of the people in order to reach the best and most balanced result. Millions of citizens, and I am among them, are determined to restore the balance between the government's branches and restore trust in the legal system in Israel," he stressed.

(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)