Coalition chiefs to meet tomorrow ahead of crucial decisions on judge-picking panel

Coalition party heads will sit down tomorrow morning to discuss and reach agreements regarding the selection of the Knesset’s and the government’s representatives in the Judicial Selection Committee, which picks the nation’s judges.

The committee has become the center of focus after the coalition tried to change its makeup as part of its now-paused judicial overhaul push, and as the opposition has insisted on sending a representative to the committee alongside a coalition MK, as is customary but not mandatory. All the committee members must be picked by tomorrow.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly in favor of allowing the opposition to send a representative to the committee as part of a deal apparently reached in compromise talks between coalition and opposition teams hosted by President Isaac Herzog.

But the premier wants to reach a consensus with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, both of whom are said to view the imminent agreement as caving to opposition demands.

At 9 a.m., coalition heads will meet to determine an agreed-upon potential second coalition candidate for the panel, and to remove extraneous names from the anonymous ballot.

At 10 a.m., Netanyahu’s Likud party will meet for a closed meeting, according to a message sent to party lawmakers and ministers.