Gantz: Netanyahu, don’t cast a match into the wood

National Unity party chief Benny Gantz calls on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “be responsible” and meet his conditions for returning to judicial overhaul negotiations, rather than unilaterally legislating changes to the judiciary.

“One-sided legislation will become Netanyahu’s one-sided disconnect from the nation,” Gantz says as he opens his opposition Knesset faction’s weekly meeting.

“We’ve already been there, on the verge of the abyss, on the verge of civil war. I urge Netanyahu not to be the one who casts the lit match into the forest.”

Gantz, who pulled out of talks last Wednesday and said he’d stay away until the Judicial Selection Committee is convened, denies that National Unity came to agreements in principle over two key issues that Netanyahu is weighing unilaterally pushing — the so-called “reasonability” test by which the court can strike down government actions and the appointment of private legal advisers to ministries.

“No plan was ever agreed upon,” says Gantz, who has insisted upon a single, complete package deal or no deal at all.

“I am looking for a solution,” he adds, “and the only way to do it, because of the lack of trust, is to do it under the auspices of the President’s Residence.”