Justice minister and constitution committee chairman propose meeting with opposition
Following a massive turnout of an estimated 100,000 Israeli citizens in the nation’s capital today, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Constitutional Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman have requested a meeting with former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz. The request comes just one day after Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the nation on primetime TV, encouraging both sides to engage in open dialogue and reach an agreement on the proposed judicial reforms.
The purpose of the proposed meeting would be to move toward "negotiations without pre-conditions," which was one of the requests Herzog made in his speech. The president said he believes that before any proposed laws can go through a first reading – a necessary requirement for laws to become enacted – such a process must be preceded by a in-depth and comprehensive discussion if all parties are to come to a consensus.
If each politician involved is willing to meet, it will take place tomorrow morning at the home of Herzog, who has offered to mediate the talks. Labor party leader, Meirav Michaeli, called upon the opposition to reject any of the proposed legislation as a consideration for negotiations, stating, “We presented a united front in the face of their attempted assassination of democracy. It is our duty to preserve it.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
