Yair Lapid reluctantly accepts president’s judicial reform plan
Former Prime Minister of Israel and the current leader of the opposition in the Knesset Yair Lapid has explained why he reluctantly accepts the outline for a possible compromise on the government’s controversial judicial reform plan.
Yair Lapid in a video interview with TPS
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, released his plan on Wednesday night.
“The outline presented by the president is not perfect,” said Lapid, “it is not what we wanted, but it is a fair compromise that enables a shared life. We accept the president’s outline because, in a civil war, there will only be losers. Because, unlike the government, we have a national responsibility. What lies on the other side, what [Justice Minister Levin] and [head of the Knesset Justice Committee Simcha] Rothman lead to, is the end of the idea of a Jewish and democratic state.”
In his words, Lapid echoed comments made by President Herzog who said that without reaching some sort of compromise, Israel is in danger of devolving into a civil war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the other leaders of his coalition government have rejected the President’s proposal, saying that it does not achieve their desired outcome of “restoring” a balance in powers between the Supreme Court of Israel and the democratically elected government of Israel, thereby strengthening the country’s democracy.
The opposition, however, charges that since the reforms would strip the Supreme Court of its ability to serve as a “check” on the government the plan would harm Israel’s democracy.
