Justice Minister Levin: ‘Why are we afraid of the Opposition?’

Justice Minister expresses outrage after Netanyahu decides to give Opposition seat on Judicial Selection Committee.

Israel National News    Jun 14, 2023, 8:41 AM 

Justice Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) was left fuming over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to back a candidate from the Opposition for one of the two spots reserved for Knesset Members on the powerful Judicial Selection Committee, which appoints Israel’s judges.

The nine-member panel includes two MKs, selected in a secret ballot by the Knesset. Over the past three decades, most governments – though not all – have agreed to reserve one of the two positions for a member of the Opposition.

Levin, one of the two architects of the judicial overhaul, has demanded that the Coalition appoint two of its own members for the two open positions, citing the Opposition’s role in the protest movement against the judicial reform plan.

With Netanyahu slated to meet with Coalition faction leaders and Likud members at 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. respectively to formally notify them of his decision, Levin has vented his frustrations with the Prime Minister to fellow Likud officials.

According to a report by Israel Hayom Wednesday morning, Levin blasted the Coalition for its concessions to the Opposition.

“The Opposition isn’t giving us anything. Why do we need to make concessions to them? They protest against us, beat us, spit on us, then they tell [MK Simcha] Rothman ‘stop being a crybaby.’ Why should we make concessions to them? What have they given us in return? Nothing.”

“If our positions would have been reversed, they wouldn’t give us a place on the Judicial Selection Committee. When they were in power and we were in the Opposition, they barely gave us representation in Knesset committees. Why should we give them representation on the [Judicial Selection] Committee?”

<
>
<
>
<
>