Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the person behind the judicial reform initiative, responded this evening (Sunday), in an interview with "Five with Sharon Gal" on Channel 13, to President Yitzhak Herzog's proposal to open talks to reach agreed-upon legislation - and clarified: "There will be no freeze on the legislation, not even for a minute.".
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In an interview, Minister Levin harshly criticized the Legal Advisor to the Government, Gali Baharav, explaining: "The story of the Legal Advisor to the Government is one big tragedy. I expect the Legal Advisor to the Government to do a deep soul-searching.".
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""What am I supposed to do?" Levin asked, "I want to implement the policy for which I was elected, I submitted a legal memorandum, I asked to publish it to the public, and the attorney general returned her response that she would return comments to the memorandum. Unfortunately, I received back a brochure that doesn't hold water, and in fact the legal advisor did exactly the thing we are outraged about - instead of advising, she decides that the reform is unacceptable to her, and she thwarted the move.".
According to the minister, "All attempts to put sticks in the wheels will not help. This reform is fundamental and touches on important things in a democratic regime. I am convinced that we will pass it despite the conduct. If things do not change, we will act at the time and place when things are right.".
He emphasized: "It is right to hold a dialogue, it can bring benefits and improve some of the proposals. But when I look at the political picture right now, I have not found a single responsible MK in the opposition.".
The Minister of Justice later referred to his work with Supreme Court President Esther Hayut: "We held working meetings, we still need to discuss things. But the one who should discuss the reform is the Knesset, the place to hold discussions on legislation is in the Knesset, between me and Knesset members from the opposition. They are deliberately abolishing the Knesset and making it unimportant, the decisions are made in private rooms - this is unacceptable.".
Regarding the Avi Chaimi affair, Minister Levin said: "The reform is the fruit of decades of work, and does not concern a specific person or a specific case - it is a systemic matter. It may put a spotlight on it, it may sharpen or clarify the need for these changes.".
On the issue of impeachment being examined by the legal advisor to the prime minister, the Minister of Justice said: "An abyss that has no precedent, it is seizing power by force. There is no other word to say it. There were elections, the one who was elected to head the government is Netanyahu. The tool of impeachment does not exist, it is a threat that does not exist, there is no difference between this and going up to the Prime Minister's Office with tanks.".
