Defense Minister Yoav Gallant clarified Sunday during a government meeting that he would respect the Supreme Court’s decision should it decide to overrule the reasonableness law that was passed by the Knesset last week. "Israel is a democratic, law-abiding country. We’ll act according to the law," he said.
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As the Knesset's summer session comes to an end on Sunday, voices in the Likud party are differing as to how and when to proceed with advancing more judicial overhaul legislation. Last week, seven of the party’s members opposed the coalition's recent moves, saying that unilateral legislation should be avoided and further moves should only be taken under wide consensus.
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Yoav Gallant and Bejamin Netanyahu on the floor of the Knesset plenum
(Photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen)
Gallant’s words come after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held several interviews with U.S. media last week, in which he refused to comment on whether he’ll abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling on the reasonableness clause. "It's a kind of spiral. I hope we won't get to that," he told CNN.
Following an uproar over his statements, Netanyahu's office issued a statement over the weekend that said "Israeli governments always respect the court’s decisions, and the court has always seen itself as subject to Basic Laws, to which it sees as a form of a constitution. Like most Israelis, Prime Minister Netanyahu believes it’s necessary to continue to preserve these two principles."
The Likud party responded to the disagreements on Saturday, claiming no “rebellion” was forming within the party. Meanwhile, Netanyahu spoke to Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Likud members who are willing to continue with the legislation, saying: "It's time to calm down."
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Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told government ministers it's time to slow down with judicial overhaul
Some senior Likud officials allegedly connected to the supposed “rebellion” denied their efforts were orchestrated by Netanyahu or his associates.
Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem, denied the alleged “rebellion” in the Likud, saying "I’ve been in the Likud for 40 years – we never had a rebellion. Likud members never go against their party leader. Dedicated Likud members align themselves with the party's decisions."
On Saturday, an additional bill proposal was added to the government meeting’s agenda, suggesting an allocation of an additional 145 million shekels to ultra-Orthodox institutions and 20 million shekels to institutions of the Religious Zionist party – which the government is expected to approve.
The additional funds will come from a broader budget cut that has already been implemented in government ministries. The Prime Minister's Office said the decision was made during coalition agreements and added that the funding will be taken from the implemented budget cuts.