Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political opponents on Tuesday to reach a consensus to end the crisis surrounding judicial reforms, just one week before a crucial court session. Herzog stated on Monday that he had spoken with leaders of the coalition government and the opposition in recent weeks in a new effort to achieve broad consensus that could spare the country a crisis and protect democracy after months of ongoing protests.
His call comes ahead of the Supreme Court's upcoming meeting, which will be its first in Israel's history with its full panel of 15 judges on September 12, to review an appeal against a reform that limits its powers, approved by Netanyahu's ruling coalition in July. The coalition, made up of nationalist and religious parties, launched a campaign in January to amend the country's judicial system, sparking unprecedented protests, harming the economy, and raising concerns about the trajectory of Israeli democracy.
Since then, Netanyahu has stated that some measures in the original plan have been canceled and that he will seek broad consensus on any new judicial amendments, which he claims aim to restore balance among the branches of government. In a video posted by the Likud party, Netanyahu called on one of the opposition leaders, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, to enter into direct negotiations, claiming that an agreement could be reached. This month, the Supreme Court is set to hear a series of appeals from legislators and watchdog organizations challenging some judicial actions taken by the government.
