Netanyahu calls to push off vote for judicial selection committee

T. Belman. This postponement was due to pushback by Levin, Smotrich and Rothman among others.

Coalition expected to back PM’s initiative to delay Knesset vote choosing MKs for judicial selection committee by one month.

By Hezki Baruch, INN     Jun 14, 2023, 12:48 PM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the Coalition to push off the election of Knesset representatives for the Judicial Selection Committee Wednesday, delaying the process by one month.

Earlier on Wednesday, Justice Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) reportedly lashed out at Netanyahu over the premier’s plans to back the election of the Opposition’s candidate, Karine Elharrar (Yesh Atid), the committee, demanding that both spots reserved for Knesset members go to the Coalition.

The prime minister had reportedly sought to back Elharrar’s election – thus placating Opposition leaders’ and keeping negotiations on judicial reform afloat – while promising Coalition lawmakers that in exchange, the government would pursue at least some elements of the judicial overhaul unilaterally if the talks fail to reach a compromise.

Levin and a number of other members of the Likud, along with Religious Zionist Party chief and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich rejected the offer, demanding the Coalition receive both spots on the committee.

“The Opposition isn’t giving us anything<” Levin said. “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.”

After meeting with Coalition faction leaders and Likud members ahead of the planned Knesset vote, Netanyahu suggested the secret ballot be delayed by one month, giving negotiations a chance to continue with no decision made on the Judicial Selection Committee members.

The Likud agreed to the plan, under which Coalition MKs will be instructed not to back any candidate, thus sending the matter back to the Knesset in one month’s time.

Thus far, all but one of the Coalition’s eight candidates for the committee have dropped out of the election, leaving only Tally Gotliv (Likud), who has thus far refused to withdraw her candidacy.