President Isaac Herzog welcomed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement that the judicial reform legislation would be frozen until the Knesset’s summer session in order to give time to reach a negotiated solution to the crisis.
“Stopping the legislation is the right thing. This is the time to begin a sincere, serious, and responsible dialogue that will urgently calm the waters and lower the flames,” Herzog said.
“I call on everyone to act responsibly. Protests and demonstrations, on whichever side – yes. Violence – absolutely not! If one side wins, the state will lose. We must remain one people and one state – Jewish and democratic.
“For the sake of our unity and for the sake of our children’s future, we must start talking, here and now. The President’s Residence, the People’s Home, is a space for dialogue and the formation of as broad agreements as possible, with the aim of extracting our beloved State of Israel from the deep crisis that we are in. “And you gave peace in the Land, and eternal joy to its inhabitants,” the President said.

In his address Netanyahu said: “Out of national responsibility, out of a desire to prevent a rift in the nation, I have decided to postpone the second third reading of the law in this session of the Knesset in order to give time to try to reach a wide agreement on the legislation in the next session of the Knesset. This way, we will bring about a reform that will restore the balance which has been lost, while maintaining and even strengthening human and individual rights.”