Following rumors on Thursday evening that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was halting his government’s plan for judicial reform due to fears of IDF reservist refusals harming Israel’s security, the prime minister held a press conference at about 9 p.m. The prime minister spoke after a meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had planned on publicly calling for the suspension of the judicial reform, but changed his mind at the last minute, instead meeting with Netanyahu. There were rumors that Gallant had threatened to quit if the reform was not suspended. Netanyahu also met with Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. The rumors caused many Likud MKs to threaten to quit the government if the judicial reform was halted. Netanyahu clarified that he does not plan to stop the reform and the advancement of the law to change the composition of the Committee for the Selection of Judges will continue as planned next week but he will involve himself in attempts to reach a compromise on other laws. It should be noted that the law on the selection of judges has already been moderated by the coalition. “Until today, my hands were tied,” Netanyahu said, referring to the Attorney-General’s decision banning the prime minister from dealing with the judicial reform due to an alleged “conflict of interest’ in light of his legal indictments. However, on Thursday, the Knesset passed the Incapacitation Law, which prevents the Attorney-General from declaring a prime minister as “incapacitated” [unfit for office] in its second and third readings on Thursday, and Netanyahu apparently intends to become actively involved now in negotiations with the opposition for a compromise on the reform. “That’s it, I’m getting involved – for the sake of the people and the State,” Netanyahu said. “I will do whatever I can to reach a solution and calm the spirits. We are brothers.” Opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed Netanyahu’s speech, claiming that the prime minister is being controlled by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, one of the architects of the judicial reform plan. “It’s Netanyahu’s voice but the hands are Levin’s hands,” Lapid said. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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