The right-wing Yamina faction on Monday harshly criticized the Likud's alleged intention to concede the Justice Ministry portfolio and control of the Judicial Selection Committee to the Blue and White party, within the framework of coalition negotiations to establish a national emergency government.
"According to the reports, under the emerging agreement [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu has completely caved to Blue and Whit on the judicial matter," said one official with Yamina, an alliance of the Habayit Hayehudi, National Union and New Right parties.
Former Chief Justice "Aharon Barak and his judiciary revolution have returned to the stage and will continue appointing their proteges to the Supreme Court," the official added. "This will be a tragedy for generations to come and we are calling on Netanyahu to come to his senses and uphold the right-wing camp's red lines."
He further asserted that Netanyahu "received in return vague assurances regarding Israeli sovereignty that don't say anything, and even worse, reject [applying] sovereignty too close to the US presidential election in such a manner that casts a dark shadow over the possibility of receiving American consent to the move.
"We call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to condition the rotation laws on the sovereignty issue and bring the application of sovereignty over all the settlements in Judea and Samaria to the government before passing the rotation laws in the Knesset. Otherwise, it's very obvious we will be left without sovereignty."
Another official in Yamina told Israel Hayom: "We will be completely unable to issue any sort of veto; this is a total concession of the entire judicial system in exchange for a future promise of sovereignty. The payment for giving up the judiciary is in cash and the diplomatic achievement is on ice."
As for the distribution of other ministerial portfolios, Yamina officials were also angry over the emerging possibility that they will have to suffice with less-prestigious portfolios. "Netanyahu is pushing us out," a faction official said.
Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday that "handing over the entire judiciary to Blue and White is a violation of Netanyahu's promise to us. Anyone who restores Aharon Barak and [former Chief Justice] Dorit Beinisch to power single-handedly decrees the demise of many [outposts], keep illegal migrants [in Israel], harm security and destroys Zionism. The fight to fix the judicial system is one of the central flagships of the Right, and Netanyahu cannot in any way surrender it."
