Won't pursue entire judicial revamp, says Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he won’t pursue the entire judicial overhaul originally planned by his government, working only to change the makeup of the judge selection committee while abandoning any other steps.

“That’s basically what’s left — because other things I think we should not legislate,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Jerusalem on Sunday. Asked about his next move, he said “it would probably be about the composition of the committee that elects judges.”

Netanyahu said he wanted to avoid extremes - either “the most activist judicial court on the planet” or a legislature that can “just knock out any decision that the court makes.”

“There has to be a balance. That’s what we’re trying to restore,” he said.

In the interview, Netanyahu sought to project an image of a leader who remains above the political fray as he faces off against the largest anti-government protest movement in the nation’s history. The prime minister was also keen to send a reassuring message to markets unsettled by months of turmoil, calling Israel “undervalued.” 

“You should invest in Israel,” he said. “Smart money is coming into Israel now.”

Walking away?

Netanyahu’s decision to back away from the rest of the judicial package — something he’s not stated explicitly before — appears to signal a concession that would be a significant victory for those who have spent months demonstrating against the planned changes.