Tue 14 March 2023:
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has described the country’s situation as “very serious” amid the debate over the government’s move to overhaul the judiciary, Anadolu Agency reported.
“We are in a serious and very serious situation that may have political, economic, social and security consequences,” Herzog said in a late Monday ceremony in Tel Aviv, according to The Times of Israel newspaper.
The president noted that he devoted all his time and energy to find an understanding that would save the country from the constitutional and social crisis.
Herzog confirmed that he is meeting with all parties to the crisis from the government coalition and the opposition.
“This is not a political compromise, this is a Sisyphean effort to find a correct formula of balance and hope. Because the situation is very difficult and worrying,” he warned.
The president’s efforts for mediation between the government coalition and the opposition have not yet yielded significant progress.
Speaking in the same ceremony, Esther Hayut, the head of the Supreme Court, expressed her concern over the government’s move which she said would undermine “Israeli unity.”
The uproar over the legal changes has plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises. Beyond the protests, which have drawn tens of thousands of Israelis to the streets and have recently become violent, opposition has surged from across society, with business leaders and legal officials speaking out against what they say will be the ruinous effects of the plan.
The legislation would give more weight to the government in the committee that selects judges and would deny the Supreme Court the right to strike down any amendments to so-called Basic Laws, Israel’s quasi-constitution.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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