Prominent right-wing journalist slams Netanyahu for government's proposal to reform Judicial Selection Committee

Amit Segal, a well-known right-wing journalist, slammed Prime Minister Netanyahu and the latest coalition proposal to reform the Judicial Selection Committee 

Segal titled his explosive weekly column in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper: "Slam the table already, Mr. Prime Minister."

He accused Netanyahu of weakness vis-à-vis Justice Minister Yariv Levin, saying that the prime minister let Levin control the situation and is getting “dragged around” by him.

"On one thing I agree with his [Netanyahu's] many haters: The sixth version of Netanyahu [as Prime Minister] is fundamentally different from the five previous versions. But in the exact opposite way that is accepted."

Segal explained: "Instead of the strategic planning they are seeing, I see embarrassment and confusion... Netanyahu didn't enter into this situation, he found himself in it."

The journalist also criticized the latest proposal to split the Judge Selection Committee between the coalition and the opposition. 

Segal called the idea "half-baked and completely rotten," adding that only the most extreme judges from both sides would get elected.

In a radio interview on the Kalman-Liberman program on Kan Reshet Bet on Sunday, Segal reiterated and expanded his criticism of the Prime Minister and the judicial reform plans.

He explained that even though the initial proposal for the Judge Selection Committee was too drastic, it made sense because it gave a possible future left-wing government a reason not to cancel it because it would have given the power to nominate all judges to the government.

The new proposal, Segal said, will be canceled the minute a new government would take power.

He also repeated his call on Netanyahu to "slam the table." According to Segal, Netanyahu at first barely touched the reform plans and didn't know their details, out of "fear and terror" that the attorney general would declare him unfit for office.

These fears were only allayed after the coalition passed an amendment to the Incapacitation Law that prevents the attorney general from doing so.

Segal said that Netanyahu was under the impression that Justice Minister Levin was working on "just another" reform, similar to other reforms that were being prepared by the Finance and Communications ministries.

Netanyahu during this tenure as head of the Likud party dealt with politicians such as Ariel Sharon, Dan Meridor and Gideon Sa'ar, Segal said, implying that the Prime Minister should be ready to fire Levin if he won't give up some parts of the reforms plan.

Segal was asked if he in his column called for the removal of Netanyahu from the premiership after calling him "confused," as some commentators claimed.

He denied this, explaining that in his opinion, Netanyahu in the past always aimed to include more left-wing parties in his governments, in order to have room to navigate between left and right.

"This isn't the case this time. And I fear that this has disrupted Netanyahu's way of doing things," Segal said.

Amit Segal is seen as one of the most influential right-wing journalists in Israel. He is the political analyst for the daily news show on Channel 12, Israel's most-watched television channel.