President of Israel talks with Netanyahu and opposition to start negotiations on reform

The president of Israel, isaac herzogspoke last night with the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahuthe leader of the opposition, the centrist Yair Lapidand the leader of the opposition National Unity party, Benny Gantzto initiate “an immediate dialogue process” around the judicial reform.

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After yesterday’s massive protests, which forced Netanyahu to announce a temporary freeze on his controversial plan, the Israeli president – who had offered his mediation weeks ago – lcalled the prime minister and opposition leaders with the aim of looking for ways to start conversations “under the auspices of the office of the presidency”, a spokesperson said in a statement.

The objective, he reiterated, is that in this process of dialogue “a broad consensus” is achieved between the different parties regarding judicial reform, a controversial package of measures promoted by the right-wing coalition and that Netanyahu was forced to postpone yesterday after a new show of force of the protest movement against this reform that has shaken Israel in the last three months.

Herzog requested that all parties “name work teams” for the negotiations, and he said he wanted to include in this process members of the different political parties with parliamentary representation, members of civil society and “other interested parties” so that they “present their different positions and ideas”.

The detractors of the controversial reform plan, which would give the Government greater powers over Justice, consider that this would end the independence of the judiciary and the separation of powers in Israel. Since it began to be promoted, the already accentuated polarization of the Israeli population has worsened and has led to the most massive protests in recent decades in Israel.

Yesterday, after hours of meetings with his government partners, the Prime Minister announced the suspension of the second and third reading vote in Parliament on the law for the election of judges, one of the most controversial aspects of the reform scheduled to be approved this same week, before the parliamentary recess for the Jewish holiday of passover in April.

In this way, the government is given until July to enter into a dialogue with the opposition and agree on changes.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.