Israel PM retracts ban on award judges after attorney order

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday back tracked on a ban on three judges selected for a panel of the country's most prestigious award.

Netanyahu's reversal came after the attorney general ordered him to stop meddling with the award, putting an end to a week-long national scandal that the prime minister blocked the judges over their opposition to his policies.

Netanyahu said on his Facebook page that the judges, two literature researchers and a filmmaker, are not suitable for the position because they hold "extreme leftist views," such as calling on soldiers not to serve in the occupied West Bank.

The move sparked an escalating row, as other judges for the prize resigned in protest, while nominees, some of whom are the country's most prominent novelists and intellectuals, said they won't accept the award.

On Thursday, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein instructed Netanyahu to refrain from any interference with the prize due to its proximity to the March 17 elections.

The legal adviser of the prime minister's office said Friday morning that Netanyahu would respect the instructions.

TV Channel 10 reported that the three judges nixed by Netanyahu are expected to go back to their positions soon.

Established in 1953, the Israel Prize has been awarded every year to distinguished contributions in arts, music and science, with 20,000 U.S. dollars going to winners. Endit