Otzma Yehudit MK elected to sit on Judicial Selection Comittee

A far-right lawmaker is selected to sit on the Judicial Selection Committee, rounding out Knesset representation on a panel that sits at the center of the coalition’s plan to radically overhaul the judiciary.

Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer is selected in the closed-door vote to sit alongside lawmaker Karine Elharrar from the opposition’s Yesh Atid party. Elharrar was chosen in June during the Knesset’s first attempt to staff the panel. Coalition infighting torpedoed that vote, prompting opposition party heads to claim malfeasance and withdraw from negotiations toward reaching a consensus on how to reform the country’s judiciary.

Kroizer promises to “act to advance candidates whose worldview is Zionist and Jewish, and loyal to the State of Israel, its symbols and institutions.”

Opposition parties have demanded Justice Minister Yariv Levin fully staff the panel, convene it and begin working toward filling the backlog of judicial vacancies, as the committee has not met in over a year.

Both Yesh Atid and National Unity renew their demands, with Yesh Atid threatening to petition the court to force Levin to convene the Judicial Selection Committee if not done within 14 days.

The Israel Bar Association will pick its representatives for the panel on July 31. It is unclear how this will affect Yesh Atid’s timeline.