Likud MK Vaturi pulls out of race for spot on Judicial Selection Committee

Likud MK Nissim Vaturi pulls out of Wednesday’s race in which the Knesset will elect two lawmakers to the panel that appoints judges.

Vaturi tweets that he has “decided to remove my candidacy for the Judicial Selection Committee, for the benefit of two representatives from the coalition.”

Traditionally, one coalition MK takes a spot and one opposition MK takes a spot. But government officials have threatened that the coalition will take both unless there is progress in ongoing talks on a negotiated reform of the judiciary, while opposition leaders have threatened to ditch the discussions if they don’t get control over one of the seats.

Usually, only two nominees remain on the ballot by the time of the closed-door election in the Knesset.

However, Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv has pledged to run until the end. Speaking to Army Radio this morning, Gotliv dodged a question on what she would do if Netanyahu asked her directly to quit the race, saying only that she did not believe he would ask her and that she would not be pulling her nomination.