ECAJ urges ‘calm, respect, unity’
Australia's Jewish communal leadership reacts to a controversial "judicial reasonableness" bill passed its first Knesset reading this week.
CONCERN for Israel’s system of checks and balances and a call for “a calm and respectful” approach have come from Australia’s Jewish communal leadership after a controversial “judicial reasonableness” bill passed its first Knesset reading this week.
Seeking to bar Israel’s courts from ruling on whether an elected official’s decision is “reasonable”, the proposed legislation is part of the judicial overhaul that has triggered deep divisions in Israel, including more than six months of widespread and massive street demonstrations.
Supporters say the bill allows elected representatives, rather than unelected judges, to have the final say on policy and appointments but opponents argue it removes a critical check on arbitrary decision-making by politicians.
This week’s 64-56 vote represented the first approval of a judicial overhaul bill since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended the far-reaching legislative package in March. The legislation needs to pass two more readings in order to become law
After the legislation passed, opposition MKs chanted “shame”, while coalition members celebrated the victory.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin told The AJN, “The Australian Jewish community is closely following the progress of these reforms. Our interest is in a strong and united Israel that embodies the best of Jewish values.
“We sincerely hope that this process of reform is carried out in a calm and respectful manner that can restore unity to the state in a critical time.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein stated, “While limited concerns are understandable about reasonableness determinations in Israel’s courts – to the extent that the judges substitute their value judgements for those of the politicians elected to make such decisions – it is also crucial for the ongoing vitality of Israel’s unitary and unicameral democracy for the courts to retain sufficient powers to provide adequate checks and balances to the government.
“We hope that, before the bill is ultimately passed, a consensual compromise can be found that strikes the right balance,” he said.
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