Herzog convenes emergency meeting with Netanyahu for compromise on judicial reform

The visit came after the Likud party rejected a compromise by the Histadrut labor federation.

By World Israel News Staff

President Isaac Herzog convened an “emergency meeting” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Sheba-Tel Hashomer Medical Center on Sunday evening, his office said in a statement.

Netanyahu underwent surgery earlier in the day to receive a pacemaker after collapsing in his home last week.

The visit came after the Likud party rejected a compromise by the chairman of the Histadrut labor federation, Arnon Bar-David, and business sector chair, Dubi Amitai, to change the “reasonableness” bill.

“This is an emergency – we must reach an agreement,” Herzog said according to the statement, which also said he also plans to meet with opposition leader Yair Lapid later in the evening.

Earlier in the evening, Herzog said he was making a last minute attempt to push negotiations between the coalition and opposition.

Bar-David said he is holding off on a decision to halt the economy, to allow for a compromise to be reached. At the same time, the “Business Forum”, which consists of over 150 economic leaders, convened an urgent meeting on Sunday morning, announcing that they were ready to suspend the economy if needed. Later, they said they would await the Histadrut’s decision before taking any further steps.

The Likud party declined to endorse Amitai and Bar-David’s proposal, stating it was a “one-sided acceptance of the opposition’s position”. Protest leaders also voiced their objections to the proposal, arguing that “this compromise will not necessarily prevent the dismissal of gatekeepers”. Labor party leader Merav Michaeli likewise rejected it, saying “There is no compromising on democracy.”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would have considered the proposal, saying it provided “a foundation for a common dialogue”.