Labor party chief says overhaul bills must be nixed, not just delayed, to enable talks

Labor leader Merav Michaeli says her party will only enter dialogue with the coalition over constitutional reforms once all the government’s judicial overhaul legislation has been canceled or permanently shelved, not merely paused.

Speaking at a party faction meeting in the Knesset, Michaeli says the judicial appointments legislation — which hands the coalition complete control over the selection of most judges and is now ready for its final votes in the plenum — must be “canceled” and the other legislative initiatives permanently shelved.

“We are one more vote from losing our democracy. One more vote and the system of government in Israel will change,” says Michaeli.

“Despite all the protests, despite the hundreds of thousands of people who took to the streets spontaneously last night, the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee under [MK Simcha] Rothman continued to advance the regime change legislation to its second and third votes,” she continues.

“The regime change laws must be totally shelved, everything prepared until now must be canceled.

“After that, we will be very happy to enter dialogue for a bill of rights for citizens, and for a fitting constitutional framework for the State of Israel to fortify our democracy and ensure it will never again be exposed to the attacks we have seen in front of our eyes.”