Lapid says ready to enter talks for constitution, but adds PM might be ‘bluffing’

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid expresses doubt about the genuineness of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s delay of the judicial overhaul legislation, saying dialogue for an agreed reform must end with a constitution.

“If the legislation really does stop, genuinely and totally, we are ready to start genuine dialogue at the President’s Residence,” Lapid says.

“We don’t need to put a bandage over the injuries, but to treat them properly,” he says. “We need to sit together and write the Israeli constitution based on the values of the Declaration of Independence. We need to let the president determine a mechanism for the dialogue and trust him to be a fair mediator.”

“We‘ve had bad experience in the past and so first, we’ll make sure that there’s no tricks or bluffing here. We heard with concern yesterday the reports that Netanyahu told the people close to him that he isn’t really stopping, just trying to calm the situation,” Lapid adds.

“If he tries anything, he’ll find hundreds of thousands of patriotic Israelis who are committed to fighting for our democracy standing opposite him, committed to be the fortification that protects the country and its democracy.

“On the other hand, if the government engages in a real and fair dialogue we can come out of this moment of crisis — stronger and more united — and we can turn this into a defining moment in our ability to live together.”