Israel is “in a state of national emergency,” President Isaac Herzog said on Monday as he worked to forge a last-minute compromise on judicial reform legislation close to becoming law.
“This is the moment to show responsibility,” the president added in a statement.
“We are working around the clock, in every possible way, to find a solution. The infrastructure for a possible understanding exists, yet gaps remain that require the various parties to show responsibility,” he said.
“The citizens of Israel are thirsting for hope and expect responsibility and leadership. During these decisive hours, I call on elected officials to act with courage and to reach out in order to arrive at understanding.”
According to President Issac Herzog there seems ‘national emergency’ ahead of votes on ‘reasonableness’ bill. Herzog’s comments came as the Knesset plenum was expected to later in the day pass into law an amendment to Basic Law: The Judiciary limiting the Supreme Court’s use of the so-called reasonableness standard.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at his Jerusalem office in the afternoon after being released from the hospital in the morning after a procedure to implant a cardiac pacemaker overnight Saturday.
He was meeting with Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Leaders of the opposition said they would boycott the third and final reading of the “reasonableness bill” unless a consensus was reached on the issue.
Meanwhile, senior military officials were scheduled to brief the Security Cabinet, the Defense Ministry said.
“The IDF will brief Cabinet ministers this morning regarding the security situation and the IDF’s readiness,” the office of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.
The briefing comes as thousands of military reservists are threatening not to report for duty if the amendment passes.
A U.S. official told Axios that the crisis in the military is causing concern at the Pentagon that it “could have negative implications for Israel’s deterrence strategy and encourage Iran or Hezbollah to conduct military provocations that could escalate the situation in the region.
“The crisis, especially within the Israeli Air Force, could also have negative operational implications for U.S. forces that closely cooperate with Israel in the region,” the Axios report stated.
Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate
Edited by Saba Fatima and Maham Javaid
