Protestors gather as Knesset starts reasonableness bill debate

The struggle over the reasonableness standard applied by the judiciary to the executive branch of government reaches a peak today and tomorrow. Abolition of the standard is the government’s first step in its planned overhaul of the judicial system in Israel. With thousands of protestors demonstrating outside the Knesset, and after a night that saw large rallies against the legislation throughout Israel, a mass march by tens of thousands of people to Jerusalem, and the erection of a “tent city” in Jerusalem’s Sacher Park, near the Knesset and the Supreme Court, the Knesset plenum has begun its debate before voting on second and third readings on the bill to prohibit the courts from considering reasonableness as a criterion in reviewing decisions by the government and government ministers.

The debate was opened at 10:00 this morning by Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism party), the chairperson of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and one of the main proponents of the bill. The vote is due tomorrow (Monday) at 12:00.

Supporters of the judicial overhaul program plan a demonstration in Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv this evening at 18:00. Among the scheduled speakers are Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Education Yoav Kisch, Minister of Regional Cooperation David Amsalem, Prof. Talia Einhorn, and Adv. Kinneret Barashi. Minister of Justice Yariv Levin and MK Sincha Rothman will speak from the Knesset.

The Israel Business Forum, consisting of senior managers of several of the largest companies in the country, is holding an emergency meeting this morning on ways of continuing its campaign against continuation of the judicial overhaul legislation and for a return to dialogue between government and opposition. Over 200 technology companies and venture capital funds have announced that they will take part in today’s protest activities. They have given workers a full or partial vacation day, and are organizing buses to transport employees who wish to take part in the protest to the demonstration outside the Knesset. Twenty of Israel’s largest law firms have announced similar steps.

Meanwhile, a mass prayer service was held this morning at the Western Wall in Jerusalem with participation by both supporters and opponents of the judicial overhaul, calling for broad consensus and for avoiding a split in the nation. MK Benny Gantz, leader of the opposition National Unity party, also went to the Western Wall this morning.

Over the weekend, 1,142 additional pilots and other Air Force reservists announced that they would stop volunteering for reserve duty. Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant expressed concern at the reservists’ declarations, and said he was working for deferral of the legislation in the Knesset and for an extension of the summer session. For the time being there are no indications of support for such a move, from either the coalition or the opposition.

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on July 23, 2023.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.