President Herzog Leads Negotiations for Compromise on Legal Reform: Met with P.M, Lapid and Ganz

President Yitzhak Herzog has taken on a central role in attempting to broker a compromise between the coalition and opposition parties regarding the contentious "reason for reasonableness" law. In a series of meetings held this evening (Sunday), the President engaged with key political figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, opposition leader Yair Lapid, and the leader of the state camp Benny Gantz.

The proposed legislation aims to abolish the reason of reasonableness, a legal doctrine that has been the subject of intense debate in Israeli politics. However, significant differences between the coalition and opposition still persist, making it challenging to reach a consensus before the upcoming legislative session.

Sources familiar with the talks have revealed that both sides have made sincere efforts to find common ground. The President presented a document of principles, crafted in collaboration with legal experts Prof. Yedidia Stern and former deputy attorney general Raz Nazri. The principles include exemptions for government decisions on matters of policy and ministerial appointments requiring Knesset approval from the reason of reasonableness. However, these decisions will still be subject to judicial review.

Furthermore, the document aims to protect gatekeepers and prevent their dismissal, a point of particular concern for the opposition. The major sticking point revolves around the duration of the moratorium on further promotion of the laws associated with the legal revolution. The coalition is willing to commit to a relatively short-term moratorium of 3-9 months, while the opposition insists on a significantly longer period, ranging from 15-18 months or even until the end of the term.

The opposition's demand for a prolonged freeze has met resistance from Justice Minister Yariv Levin and reform supporters within the coalition. Levin is concerned that a lengthy moratorium might hinder his efforts to change the composition of the committee responsible for selecting judges.

In response to the negotiations, the chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar David, and the chairman of the presidency of the business sector, Dobi Amitai, proposed a compromise to reduce the application of the reason of reasonableness. The proposal suggests exempting government and ministerial decisions related to policy matters from the reason of reasonableness. Additionally, government decisions on appointments requiring Knesset approval would not be subject to disqualification based on the reason of reasonableness. However, the continuation of the legal revolution legislation would be frozen for a year and a half, during which new legislation could only advance with the consent of 75 Knesset members.

Notably, the Likud party has rejected Bar David's compromise proposal, viewing it as too aligned with the opposition's initial stance. The party remains committed to seeking a true compromise and urges all parties involved to seriously engage in finding common ground.

President Herzog, emphasizing the urgency of the situation, has been actively working to mediate the negotiations and bring about an agreement. His efforts led him to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is currently hospitalized, as well as opposition leader Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz.

The situation remains fluid as the parties continue their efforts to reach an agreement before the legislation is presented tomorrow. The outcome of these negotiations will have significant implications for the future of Israel's legal system and democratic processes.