Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday morning that the government will advance judicial reform legislation beginning this week in the wake of the opposition leaders’ announcement last week that they are halting negotiations on the reform.

“What was proven last week was that essentially there was a misrepresentation of so-called negotiations but was in fact just a waste of time,” Netanyahu said. “Their intention was to drag out each amendment while meanwhile, a large majority of the public understands that amendments are needed in the judicial system. Therefore, we will gather this week and start taking practical steps in a measured and responsible manner, in accordance with the mandate we received.”

Netanyahu added that “Gantz and Lapid were playing a game. For three months [of negotiations in the President’s Residence], their representatives did not agree to the most minimal understandings.”

Following Netanyahu’s announcement, Lapid tweeted: “If Netanyahu goes ahead with the coup d’état unilaterally as he stated, he will discover that he is the prime minister of less than half of the people of Israel, with less than half of the economy, less than half of the security and less than half of the Knesset.’

Gantz also issued threats, saying that if Netanyahu unilaterally advances the reform, there will be no return to the judicial reform negotiations.

Following Netanyahu’s announcement, a meeting of the coalition party heads was scheduled for Monday to discuss the advancement of the reform.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)