The Knesset Secretary announced this evening (Monday) that the election of members of the Judicial Appointments Committee will take place in the plenary on Wednesday, June 14th.
Government Secretary Yossi Fox today conveyed a message to the opposition leaders, stating that if they do not reach an agreement among themselves on the Attorney General's Law and changing the grounds of reasonableness, they will not receive a representative on the committee for selecting judges.
""Without agreements on the attorneys general, you will not receive a member of the committee, and the Likud will appoint two coalition members," Fox told Benny Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid.
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According to a report by Michael Shemesh in Kan News, officials in the state camp responded: "We have not received any such message. The significance of appointing two coalition members to the committee for selecting judges is clear.".
In the compromise talks at the President's Office on legal reform, the Likud demanded the advancement of the Attorney General's Law and a change to the grounds of reasonableness in exchange for an agreement with Lapid and Gantz.
Apparently Gantz is waiting to see if there are indeed agreements, and is looking for a candidate on his behalf for the committee, opposite the candidate presented by Lapid on behalf of Yesh Atid - MK Karin El-Harar. MK Efrat Reitan from the Labor Party has already submitted a candidacy.
Among the candidates of the state camp: MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, MK Hili Tropper or MK Matan Kahane.
Journalist Moti Castel reported on Channel 14's "Main Edition" that the talks at the President's House are on the verge of an explosion, and that the one to blame for this is the opposition, which refused two weeks ago to postpone by agreement the date of the election of representatives to the Judicial Selection Committee - thereby determining the fate of the talks.
According to the report, the coalition will appoint two coalition members if there are no agreements - and there probably won't be.
A senior coalition official told Channel 14: "It's amusing to see the arguments between Lapid, Gantz and Labor over a place on the committee for selecting judges when they will probably never have such a place. In the absence of agreements, the coalition will appoint two members to the committee. They scored a magnificent own goal.".
The High Court previously approved such an arrangement when in 2020 Zvi Hauser and Osnat Mark were both elected on behalf of the coalition - and rejected three petitions on the subject, stating: "On the level of desirable law, the election of an opposition representative to the judicial selection committee is important, but there is no reason to order this on the level of existing law.".
