Netanyahu: Herzog asked about halting legal reforms, I told him to talk to Levin

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells members of his Likud faction that President Isaac Herzog approached him about halting the government’s contentious planned judicial overhaul, but he told him to speak to Justice Minister Yariv Levin.

Netanyahu’s comments came during a closed-door section of the faction meeting, according to multiple Hebrew media reports.

Netanyahu says it is Levin who “envisioned, prepared and is passing” the legislation.

Critics, including Herzog, argue that the reform will undermine Israel’s democracy, while proponents say it will restore the balance between the branches of government.

Last week, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara informed Netanyahu that he cannot be involved in his government’s efforts to radically overhaul the legal and judicial system because he has a conflict of interests due to his ongoing corruption trial.