Opposition leader Yair Lapid presented a series of conditions the coalition must meet before he agrees to hold negotiations over the government's planned judicial reforms.
In his speech in the Knesset, Lapid demanded that the judicial reform bills be frozen for 60 days while the negotiations are held, calling this move the "first step" in the negotiation process.
"60 days is like the blink of an eye in the life of a democracy," Lapid said. “We have been waiting for 74 years. Nothing will happen if it takes a few more weeks, thanks to which we will save the people of Israel from a terrible crisis."
He also demanded that the negotiations be held under the auspices of an external team or committee formed by President Isaac Herzog, which would include figures such as the governor of the Bank of Israel and other leading economic and security officials who will ensure that the judicial reforms do not result in economic or security damage to the State of Israel.
Lapid contrasted this approach with the "hasty, irresponsible, biased and destructive procedure which is being conducted in the Knesset today."
He said that President Herzog is the perfect person to mediate the negotiations, as he was elected with the largest majority in the Knesset's history and enjoys support from the left and right wings of the political spectrum.