Democracy

As Judicial Plans Rock Israel, Secret Talks Seek Compromise

Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to restrict judicial independence have divided Israel. But a small group of academics has met privately with lawmakers in a search for middle ground.

The Israeli government’s efforts to overhaul the judicial system have divided the country, set off mass protests, prompted the beginnings of capital flight and caused unrest in the military.
But amid the turmoil, a group of law professors and lawmakers has been working behind the scenes for weeks toward a goal that, given the heated rhetoric, has seemed implausible: a compromise.
“Most of the issues, I believe, are solvable,” said Prof. Yedidia Stern,
who is leading the talks with the lawmakers, in an interview with the New York Times. “The main gap is the issue of the committee for the nomination of judges.”

For the full article in New York Times.