Sawt Falasteen - Israeli parties open talks on justice reforms

Scepticism remained high over the negotiations on the judicial overhaul that would curtail authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges.

President Isaac Herzog's office said on Tuesday evening that he was "currently meeting with the working teams representing the ruling coalition, Yesh Atid and the National Unity Party" -- two centrist parties -- for "a first dialogue meeting".

After three months of increasing tensions that split the nation and raised concerns among the US and other allies, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bowed to pressure in the face of a nationwide walkout Monday which hit airports, hospitals and more, while tens of thousands of reform opponents rallied outside parliament in Jerusalem.

"Out of a will to prevent a rupture among our people, I have decided to pause the second and third readings of the bill" to allow time for dialogue, the prime minister said in a broadcast.

The decision to halt the legislative process marked a dramatic U-turn for the premier, who just a day earlier announced he was sacking his defence minister who had called for the very same step.

The move was greeted with suspicion in Israel, with the president of the Israel Democracy Institute think-tank remarking it does not amount to a peace deal.

"Rather, it's a ceasefire perhaps for regrouping, reorganising, reorienting and then charging -- potentially -- charging ahead," Yohanan Plesner told journalists.

- 'Ruse or bluff' -

Opposition leader Yair Lapid reacted warily, saying Monday he wanted to be sure "that there is no ruse or bluff".

A joint statement Tuesday from Lapid's party and that of Benny Gantz, a former defence minister, said such talks will stop immediately "if the law is put on the Knesset's (parliament's) agenda".

The opposition had previously refused to negotiate about the reforms -- which would hand politicians more power over the judiciary -- until the legislative process was stopped.

"The goal is to reach an agreement," Netanyahu said in a statement Tuesday.

Activists vowed to continue their rallies, which have continued routinely for weeks, sometimes drawing tens of thousands of protesters.

"This is another attempt of Netanyahu trying to gaslight the Israeli public in order to weaken the protest and then enact a dictatorship," the Umbrella Movement of demonstrators said.

"We will not stop the protest until the judicial coup is completely stopped," it added in a statement.

In its statement on Tuesday evening, Herzog's office said he was expected to meet with representatives of the other parties later in the week.

- 'No turning back' -

The crisis has revealed deep rifts within Netanyahu's fledgling coalition, an alliance with far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in a tweet Monday, asserted "there will be no turning back" on the judicial overhaul.

Fellow far-right cabinet member, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, had pressed his supporters to rally in favour of the reforms.

Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party revealed on Monday that the decision to delay the legislation involved an agreement to expand the minister's portfolio after he threatened to quit if the overhaul was put on hold.

The affair has hit the coalition's standing among the Israeli public, just three months after it took office.

Netanyahu's Likud party has dipped seven points, according to a poll by Israel's Channel 12 which predicted the government would lose its majority in the 120-seat parliament if elections were held.

The fate of the ousted defence minister, Yoav Gallant, was unknown on Tuesday with speculation in Israeli media that he could be reinstated.

Gallant, who had warned the crisis threatened national security, on Monday welcomed "the decision to stop the legislative process in order to conduct dialogue," his team said.

W.Mansour--SF-PST