Israel’s Judicial Reform Law Sparks Disappointment And Opposition

Netanyahu announced a pause to divisive judicial reforms moving through parliament, after months of street rallies that drew tens of thousands. The law bars judges from using “reasonableness” as the standard with which to reverse laws passed by elected officials. PHOTO BY MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/GETTY IMAGES

The same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was released from the hospital after pacemaker surgery, the Knesset passed a key piece of the coalition’s judicial reform legislation on Monday. The law bars judges from using “reasonableness” as the standard with which to reverse laws passed by elected officials.

Sam Markstein, national political director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, told Zenger News that the group joins David Friedman, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, in “hoping and praying that efforts continue—and succeed—to find a consensus.”