Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced at the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday) that the judicial reform legislation would be advanced in the coming week after the opposition suspended the negotiations at the President's Residence last week.
“What was proven last week is that the so-called negotiations were actually just a waste of time," Netanyahu said.
The Prime Minister said that the coalition gave the opposition "a month, and then another month, and another, and their representatives did not agree to even the most minimal understanding. Their intention was just to buy time, to waste time.”
"A large majority of the public today understands that changes need to be made to the judicial system, so we will gather this week and begin the practical steps, we will do them in a measured, responsible manner, in accordance with the mandate we received," he said.
Im Tirtzu movement CEO Matan Peleg said in response: "We welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement regarding the advancement of the judicial reforms. There is no precedent in the world for the reality in Israel: a minority controlling the majority through blackmail with threats. The national camp acted with generosity and statesmanship, allowing the talks to take place, and yet the anarchists and the opposition refuse to move forward. The people of Israel deserve a more decent, better and more Zionist legal system. We expect actions and not just talk. Otherwise, a regime of "tyranny of the minority" will be established before our eyes, and this is a fundamentally anti-democratic situation that we have no right to accept."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded, "If Netanyahu goes ahead with the coup d'état unilaterally as he has stated, he will find that he is the prime minister of less than half of the Israeli people, with less than half of the economy, less than half of the security and less than half of the Knesset."
Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the suspension of the judicial reform legislation in March to allow for negotiations on the issue with the opposition. Last week, the opposition parties suspended the talks at the President's Residence until the judicial selection committee begins to function.
Yesh Atid MK Karin Elharrar was elected as the opposition's representative to the committee, but the coalition MKs did not vote for their representative, instead choosing to push off the vote for up to 30 days. Without two MKs, the committee cannot begin its activity.