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‘Stop the legislation immediately’ – Herzog urges overhaul pause after overnight protests

“Wake up now! This is not a political moment; This is a moment for leadership and responsibility,” Herzog said in a statement.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called for a halt to pending legislation that would overhaul the judicial system on Monday morning, after a chaotic night filled with mass protests throughout the country.

“Tonight we saw some very difficult scenes. I’m turning to the prime minister, the government, and the members of the coalition: The emotions are difficult and painful. Deep anxiety is engulfing the people. The security, the economy, the society — everything is threatened. The eyes of all the people of Israel are turned to you,” Herzog wrote on his Twitter account.

“For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of responsibility, I am calling on you to stop the legislation immediately. I turn to all the party leaders in the Knesset, coalition, and opposition as one, put the citizens of the nation above all else, and behave responsibly and bravely without further delay.

“Wake up now! This is not a political moment; This is a moment for leadership and responsibility.”

Several weeks ago, Herzog presented a potential compromise plan which was rejected by the coalition parties.

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The tensions regarding the judicial reform mark “one of the most difficult moments that the State of Israel has ever experienced,” he said in mid-March.

“We are in a historic crisis that threatens to destroy us from within.”

Herzog encouraged dialogue between the coalition and opposition parties regarding a compromise on the overhaul, but Opposition Leader Yair Lapid vehemently refused to engage in negotiations unless the legislation was paused.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to make a statement on Monday morning, during which he will likely call for a pause to the judicial reform until after the Knesset’s Passover recess.

Simultaneously on Monday morning, the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved a fundamental piece of judicial reform legislation for its final readings in the Knesset plenum.

The bill, which would give coalition parties greater control over judicial appointments, has now been cleared for a final vote which would make it law.