Right secures control over Judicial Nomination Committee

The Likud and Yisrael Beytenu came to an agreement Wednesday by which both will support each other’s candidates for the Judicial Nomination Committee. The deal effectively affords the right-wing parties control over the committee’s decisions.

The Judicial Nomination Committee comprises nine members: three Supreme Court judges, two representatives from the Israel Bar Association, two MKs and two ministers.

The deal means that the four political members serving on the panel will represent right-wing parties, and as a judicial nomination requires a seven-member majority vote, the other members of the committee would be unable to name new judges without the Knesset and government’s consent.

The Knesset is scheduled to vote on the composition of the Judicial Nomination Committee on July 22. Candidates would vie for a seat on the committee itself, as well as on one of its three subcommittees, which select religious judges, qadis and qadi-madhabs (Muslim and Druze judges, respectively).

The deal struck between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman stipulates that the coalition will back Yisrael Beytenu MK Robert Ilatov’s candidacy, while Lieberman’s faction, which is part of the opposition, will support Likud MK Nurit Koren’s candidacy.

They will join Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who have already been selected to serve on the panel.

Lieberman’s associates stressed Wednesday the move, which is the first political collaboration between Likud and Yisrael Beytenu since the latter joined the opposition, was not a prelude to Lieberman joining the government. The decision, one Yisrael Beytenu source said, was made on merit, as Lieberman pledged he would do when he decided not to join the coalition.

Nevertheless, Likud insiders said they hoped the deal, brokered by Coalition Chairman Tzachi Hanegbi, was a first step towards Netanyahu and Lieberman mending fences, which may eventually convince Lieberman to join the coalition.

Senior Likud officials said the collaboration with Yisrael Beytenu extends further, and that over the past few days Lieberman and Kahlon have been negotiating a deal that would see Yisrael Beytenu either abstain or support the vote on the state budget, which would help the 61-MK coalition pass the bill.

The budget bill’s first Knesset reading has been scheduled for Sept. 2., and the Knesset will have to hold its second and third readings by Nov. 19. Passing the 2015-2016 budget is the main challenge the coalition faces, since according the Israeli law, if it fails to secure the vote, the government may topple.