Amid the Israeli government's recent tumult regarding the proposed judicial reforms, N12's Knesset reporter Daphna Liel reported that tensions in the Likud party threatened the coalition.
Specifically, she reported that relations between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin had deteriorated. Levin reportedly threatened to resign and break up the coalition, according to Liel, if there were significant compromises made to the original text of the judicial reform.
Both the prime minister and the justice minister decried Liel's report as "fake news."
The judicial reform draft saga
The draft for the judicial reform, which has evolved through fierce debates in the law committee since initially proposed by Levin in early January, would see the removal of Israel Bar Association representatives from the committee in favor of politicians.
The proposed judge selection committee would consist of nine members – the justice minister and two other ministers, the High Court of Justice president and two retired judges, the law committee chairman and two Knesset members. At least one of the committee members must be female, and one of the Knesset members sitting on the panel must be a member of the opposition.
Michael Starr contributed to this report.