Justice minister says judicial overhaul push won’t be slowed ‘for even a minute’

Justice Minister Yariv Levin strikes a defiant tone amid calls by President Isaac Herzog and others for the government to slow its push to overhaul the judicial system and hold deliberations in an effort to work out a compromise proposal.

“The legislation won’t be frozen for even a minute,” Levin says in an interview with Channel 13 news.

Levin, who is No. 2 in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, insists he’s open to dialogue, “which can bring benefits and improve some of the proposals.”

“But when I take a look at the political picture at the moment, I can’t find a single responsible opposition member of Knesset,” he says.

He also rails at Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara after she submitted a legal opinion last week opposing his plans, which include radically reducing the court’s ability to strike down laws and government decisions as well as giving politicians full control over the selection of judges.

Levin argues Baharav-Miara’s opinion “doesn’t hold water.”

“The attorney general did exactly what we object to — instead of advising, she decides that the reform is unacceptable to her and thwarts the move,” he says.