Posted on 07/20/23
| News Source: JPost
The Israeli judicial reform's reasonableness bill will only strengthen Israeli democracy, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on the latest progress made in the judicial reform legislation on Thursday evening.
Netanyahu condemned protesters who blocked roads in demonstrations against his government's planned judicial reform in a speech on Thursday evening. He stressed that "Israel will remain a democracy," and claimed that his government had "softened" the reasonability standard bill unilaterally and that the coalition was continuing efforts to reach agreements on the bill. The prime minister added that the bill would "strengthen democracy," while reservists stopping to serve in reserve service would be a danger to democracy.
The prime minister blamed the opposition for the failure of talks, saying the coalition had posed a series of proposals that were all rejected.
The bill was advanced to the Knesset plenum for final readings when it passed in a vote in the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee late Wednesday night.
The bill, which passed with nine in favor and seven against, would prevent courts from using the reasonableness standard in judgments against administrative decisions by the government, prime minister, and ministers. This would include the decision to refrain from acting.