Herzog: Israeli leaders must show responsibility, end judicial crisis

President Isaac Herzog called for daring and responsibility from Israel's political leadership amid the tense moment the country is in with the consequences of the judicial overhaul. 

Speaking at a ceremony of the IDF's 14th Armored Brigade, which fought on the Sinai front during the Yom Kippur War, Herzog said it is impossible to "stand here today and speak, without addressing the deep divide that Israel finds itself in.

"This is precisely the moment in which our political leadership must feign daring and responsibility and break us out of this crisis. This is the moment for political leadership," he said. 

The speech comes on the heels of the historic High Court of Justice hearing held on Tuesday, in which all 15 justices presided together for the first time, to hear arguments to strike down the judicial reform's reasonableness standard law. 

Being the only law passed into law, the over-12-hour hearing on the eight petitions is the culmination of a year of political and legal turmoil for Israel.

Maintaining Israel's democratic stability

Herzog shared that on the table right now is an agreement compromise that "serves as a basis for immediate understandings, ones that will maintain Israel's democratic stability in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence that will give us an out from this nine-month long crisis." 

He emphasized that the agreement has "widespread support - across the political aisles, coalition and opposition, scholars of law, research, governance and civil society." 

Herzog did not specify what outline he was referring to. 

There was an alleged leak of the compromise that had been in the works earlier this month, one that Likud was quick to deny and the President's Residence was quick to emphasize that no agreements had yet been reached. 

According to an N12 report, the proposal reportedly included renewed legislation on a softened reasonableness standard law, no change to the Judicial Selection Committee, and freezing all other reform legislation for a year and a half. 

"What will be needed now is a solid decision, one that will come from the leaders," Herzog said on Wednesday, "Right now, what we need is to look beyond the base to the state, to remain above the politics. Now is the time to reach agreements." 

The High Court is set to convene again one week after the hearing of the petitions against Justice Minister Yariv Levin's refusal to convene the Judicial Selection Committee. 

Herzog added that he "followed the hearing closely. It was important and thoughtful, and showed all of us how dialogue and productive arguments can be had in a functioning democracy." 

He added, "Obviously, we can and should make changes in the relationship between the branches of government, and adapt them to our changing times, but only with widespread consensus. In any regard, the obligation to follow the law and respect the rulings of the court is non-negotiable." 

Michael Starr contributed to this report.