Justice Minister Yariv Levin on Sunday shrugged off calls to slow the advance of his long overdue legal overhaul proposals, even as President Isaac Herzog joined for the first time those saying legislation should be halted in order to allow negotiations for a broadly agreed-upon reform.
Speaking to Channel 13, Levin said the legislation would not be halted “even for a minute.” After Levin’s interview aired, Herzog reiterated his calls to calm public discourse around the plans. “Stop the whole process for a moment, take a deep breath, allow dialogue to take place, because there is a huge majority of the nation that wants dialogue.” He added: “When I see people are threatening to murder the prime minister… it’s a terrible thing that needs to be eliminated and the stain removed.”
For a fifth straight weekend Israelis turned out by the thousands to protest the proposed judicial reforms. These are left wingers who now find themselves in the minority in the Jewish population of Israel and are up in arms about losing control. People who have a mature and factual understanding of the urgent need for these legal reforms understand that these moves will restore a system that was undermined chiefly by Aharon Barak who hid his changes to the courts powers in lengthy decisions and in rulings delivered when many people were on recess.
Threats and violence will accomplish nothing. The detractors must be made to understand that a democratic and codified legal system is necessary in order for Israel to advance its democratic process. Minister Levin has the blueprint. Since the cry to allow for negotiations is only a delay tactic, and the Chief Justice has refused to meet with the Law and Justice committee, no further dialogue is needed.
Is judicial reform a threat to Israeli democracy?, by Alex /JNS, January 15, 2023