Despite massive opposition and after failed compromise talks, Knesset okays reasonableness law

After weeks of protests and mass public opposition that have roiled the country and divided society, the Knesset has given its final approval to a law that prevents the courts from reviewing the reasonableness of government and ministerial decisions, the first major bill to pass in the government’s judicial overhaul.

The bill passed with 64 votes in favor and 0 against, with opposition MKs boycotting the final vote on the bill in protest.

Within the Knesset, multiple last-minute attempts to amend the bill or to come to a broader procedural compromise with the opposition failed, and two compromise frameworks floated by a union leader and the president were rejected. A series of ideas for unilaterally softening the legislation, discussed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and key coalition leaders even as the Knesset was preparing to vote, also led nowhere.

The vote followed almost 30 hours of continuous floor debate that began on Sunday morning. During that period, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets, both for and against curbing judicial checks on political power.

According to the law’s text, courts are prohibited from exercising any scrutiny over the “reasonableness” of cabinet and minister decisions, including appointments and the choice to not exercise vested authorities.