The fake outline was published the day after Herzog had called an emergency meeting of local government officials about lobbying for judicial reform negotiation.
By MICHAEL STARR, JPOST MARCH 7, 2023
President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, November 23, 2022.(photo credit: CHAIM TZACH/GPO)<
A document claiming to be a proposed outline for judicial reform negotiations published on Tuesday morning was not produced by President Isaac Herzog, his office said following outcry about the document by politicians and activists.
“The publications this morning were not done with the knowledge of the president or anyone on his behalf. It must be clarified and emphasized that this is not the outline of the president,” The President’s Residence said in a statement. “This is one proposal out of many that have been forwarded in recent weeks by researchers and academics from various institutes.”
The outline was published the day after Herzog had called an emergency meeting of local government officials about lobbying for judicial reform negotiation. Herzog said that he would soon present an outline, but his office said Tuesday morning that the president hasn’t finished writing the outline and promised that he would present it to the public.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman Simcha Rothman welcomed the president’s response, saying that the outline published was a “sterilization” of the reform plan.
The reform leaders encouraged the efforts of Herzog and other actors seeking to reach a dialogue and agreement outline. They said it was clear that an outline would need to address the essentials of the reform.
“There is a broad consensus, also in the public, in academia, in hi-tech, economy, and among the members of the Knesset on the need for a broad and comprehensive reform and also on its fundamental principles,” said Rothman and Levin. “We will continue to promote the legislation as planned, and we will continue to try to reach broad agreements just as we have done in past months.”
Religious Zionist Party MK Rothman also decried on social media the reaction to his statement on “a fake presidential outline.” Rothman said he and Levin were being framed as being against the president because of their objections to the outline published that morning.
Labor leader Merav Michaeli said on Twitter that the outline was close to Levin and Rothman’s original position. She reiterated her Monday position that while she appreciated the “good intentions” there could be no negotiations with compromise on essential values.
The outline initially attributed to Herzog included an override clause with a majority of 70 MK and the limitation of the reasonableness clause. A special method for enacting Israel’s quasi-constitutional Basic Laws was also included, and had been part of Herzog’s previous five-point proposal.
Opponents and Proponents speak out
The protest group Struggle Against Dictatorship responded harshly to the outline, saying that it gave the reformist camp everything they demanded. They criticized the president for unilaterally developing an outline without transparency.
“[Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, Levin, [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich and Rothman got everything they wanted: A political court, a neutered High Court of Justice, a government immune to any criticism, a sterilized justice system,” said the protest leaders. “Millions who have been fighting for democracy in Israel for two months have been slapped in the face.”
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said that “the apparent direction of the president’s outline seems balanced and good, and should be adopted.” He called on both sides to compromise and adopt Herzog’s outline to avoid civil war.
Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz said on Tuesday morning that the reform is necessary and that dialogue was needed without preconditions.
“I spoke with the leaders of the reform, they are ready,” said Ganz. “But currently Lapid and Gantz are not ready to take this step of sitting in a closed room and talking. I call on both of them – come, sit, talk! If they come willingly, I am convinced that agreements can be reached about the important things.”
Herzog attended a traditional Purim reading of the Book of Esther on Monday night in Herzliya, and said that he hoped that things would turn around in the coming weeks.
@bobandcarolandtedandalice I agree. That plus they don’t speak Spanish.
The left is NOT really interested in any “negociation”, because their demands are simple: scrap the whole idea of limiting the power of the Supreme Court. That means to continue with the same politicized Court that we have now, that is one of the major (if not the worst) problems Israel has.