In April 1 ‘joke,’ judicial overhaul architect Rothman touts bill for ‘memorial day for Israeli democracy’

By Sam Sokol 1 April 2025, 3:29 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, head of the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, introduces the law to remake Israel's Judicial Selection Committee, in the Knesset on March 26, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In an April Fools Day “joke,” Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman Simcha Rothman tweets a mock bill to “commemorate democracy in the State of Israel” with an “annual memorial day.”

“I am happy to announce that after hard work, we were able to place on the Knesset table one of the laws that I am most proud of,” tweets the Religious Zionism party lawmaker, one of the chief architects of the government’s judicial overhaul agenda, which critics say deeply undermines Israeli democracy.

“Immediately after the recess, I intend to present the proposal to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation and ensure that no one in the country forgets where we came from and where we are going.”

The text of the ersatz bill calls for an annual memorial day for Israeli democracy on which citizens will mark how the country’s democratic system “ended on the day when the law was passed that changed the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee, with delayed applicability, in such a way that the opposition was given the opportunity to influence the selection of judges in Israel.”

It adds that the Knesset will hold an annual meeting to discuss the topic, which will be opened by Ronen Bar, “the eternal head of the Shin Bet.”

שמח לבשר שאחרי עבודה מאומצת, הצלחנו להניח על שולחן הכנסת את אחד החוקים שאני יותר גאה בהם.

אני רוצה להודות לצוות המסור שלי ולמשפחתי שתמיד עמדה מאחוריי.

מיד אחרי הפגרה בכוונתי להעלות את ההצעה לוועדת השרים לחקיקה ולוודא שאיש במדינה לא ישכח מאין באנו ולאן אנחנו הולכים. pic.twitter.com/B97F0B6Zgo

— שמחה רוטמן – Simcha Rothman (@rothmar) April 1, 2025

Rothman’s tweet is reminiscent of a satirical campaign video released by the New Right party in 2019 featuring then-justice minister Ayelet Shaked hawking a perfume called “Fascism” which made fun of critics of her own judicial reform agenda.