Government agrees to modify role in picking judges

Responding to three months of turbulent protests, government coalition leaders Sunday night decided to partly soften its judicial overhaul legislation, starting with a reduced role in the panel for the selection of judges. They postponed the second and third readings of the entire, hotly disputed, plan to the Knesset’s summer session. The judges’ appointment panel will be tabled this month before the Passover recess. In the revised panel, the coalition now proposes the right to pick the next two new High Court judges and leave remaining choices to a broader consensus.  The government appeals to the opposition to respond by cooling its hectic street demonstrations and allow the country to enjoy a peaceful spring festival and holiday.

. The opposition’s first response was to accuse the coalition of “spin.”