Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday called on the coalition and the opposition to reach a consensus regarding the judicial reform legislation and the bill to reduce the reasonableness standard and not to one-sidedly pass the legislation.
"We are in a national emergency. This is the time for responsibility. We are working around the clock, in every possible manner, to find a solution. There is a possible base for consensus, but there are still gaps that require the sides to show responsibility," the President stated.
He added: "The citizens of Israel thirst for hope and expect responsibility and leadership. At this crucial time, I call on the elected officials to act bravely and put out their hands to reach a consensus.
At the same time, the leaders of the opposition decided to abstain from the vote on the reasonableness standard in the third reading if a consensus would not be reached.
During the meeting, the party leaders criticized opposition leader Yair Lapid. Lapid said that he would let the president update them on developments. The other party leaders said that they deduced from his words that there were developments and asked to hear them.
Ynet reported that Labor Chairperson Merav Michaeli and Hadash Chairperson Ayman Odeh led the attack on Lapid. Benny Gantz told him: "It sounds like you're getting close to a compromise, so you should update us."
Prime Minister Netanyahu came to the Knesset straight from Sheba Medical Center, where he was hospitalized after receiving an artificial cardiac pacemaker. On his arrival, he summoned Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for an emergency meeting ahead of the vote on the Reasonableness Standard Bill.
In the coalition, there are those who are vehemently against a compromise on the judicial reform. "We have no mandate to soften the legislation, which would do one thing: uproot it from its substance and render it ineffective. And we certainly do not have the mandate to delay the rest of the reform, which a large part of the public gave us the mandate to pass. The ones who run the state of Israel are the government, not Shikma Bressler and not Ehud Barak. We have to pass the legislation as is and after that to keep going."
Because of the vote's dramatic nature and the expected protests, Knesset Master-at-arms Yuval Hen announced that there would be no entry for visitors, tours, or events. The only ones who will be allowed to enter are MKs, Knesset workers, parlementary advisors, media, and the like. The above-mentioned also had trouble entering the Knesset due to the anti-government protesters who blocked the entrances.