AJN Agency.- Voting on the Judiciary Law Committee bill continued today in the Constitution, Law and Justice Commission, despite Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant’s invocation on Saturday to halt the legislative process.
Tensions were high at the start of the Knesset (parliament) working week. The ambassadors sing “dictatorship” in their voice while on the table of valves. Legislator Matti Sarfati Harkavi recited a prayer for the mourners, likely saying to the opposition that democracy in Israel is dead if reforms are to be carried out.
Legal council chair Simcha Rothman denounced the act of the opposition, which he said was “impossible” to act.
Much of the uproar from members of the opposition arose from demands that they be able to make opening statements and other declarations in the run-up to the vote.
The bill would change the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee. The panel now consists of the High Court judge, two other judges, the minister of justice, another minister, two members of the Knesset and two members of the Bar Association.
If the law is approved, the two representatives of the Bar Association will be dismissed and replaced by the President of the Legal Committee, another minister and two representatives from the opposition and in each coalition. There would also be a parallel system in which the presidents of the court and district courts would substitute judges for the lower court appointments.
The vote would also change the threshold from seven to nine for a simple majority, and seven out of 11 lower court approval.
In a televised statement on Saturday night, Gallant urged his colleagues in the Likud party and the other four parties in Netanyahu’s coalition to halt the legislative campaign for several weeks to allow talks with the opposition.
The former general said the deep national divides formed by the issue had remained in the army, beginning their strength.
“This represents a clear, immediate and tangible threat to public security,” he said in his first speech.
