Israeli president says his proposal aims to avoid internal division

By Abdelraouf Arna'out

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday said his proposal to solve the ongoing crisis aims to avoid division among Israelis.

Herzog's statement came as the head of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, agreed on his proposal to address the ongoing crisis, while the Israeli government rejected it.

"I suggest that everyone (read) the outline and my speech in-depth and see how it really presents a good alternative for Israel," said Herzog.

He added that his proposal serves as "a platform for discussion" and that it is the beginning of the discussion, not the end.

"Everything is for the good of reaching a broad agreement in Israeli society as quickly as possible in order to avoid (further) division between us, in order to bring about national consensus, to calm emotions and bring about dialogue," Herzog said in his statement, according to the daily Jerusalem Post.

According to the plan, the coalition government would not have a majority on the committee selecting Supreme Court judges.

The committee would have 11 members, comprising three ministers, three Supreme Court judges -- including the head of the court -- three lawmakers (two from the opposition and one coalition), and two lawyers appointed with the agreement of the justice minister and the president.

Herzog's outline plan also proposes that any basic law proposal will require three readings and a simple majority of 61, but a majority of 70 or 80 on a fourth reading.

Israel has no written constitution, but a system of Basic Laws that work as a semi-constitution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his rejection to Herzog's plan, and said in a tweet that "any attempt to reach an understanding and talk is certainly appropriate, ... but unfortunately, the matters presented by the president were not agreed upon by the representatives of the coalition."

In the past two months, thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest Netanyahu’s plans for judicial overhaul, seen by the opposition as an attempt to reduce the powers of the judicial authority in favor of the executive authority.

Proposed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the reform, if enacted, would be the most radical change ever in the system of government in Israel.

The planned change would severely limit the power of the Supreme Court of Justice, give the government the power to choose judges, and end the appointment of legal advisers to ministries by the attorney general.

However, Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, insists that his judicial plan would enhance democracy and would restore the balance between the legislative, executive, and judicial powers.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara.