Likud minister urges resumption of reform talks after ‘reasonableness’ bill vote

Economy Minister Nir Barkat of the ruling Likud party says that after passing the so-called reasonableness bill in its first reading later today, the coalition should return to judicial reform talks being mediated by President Isaac Herzog.

In an interview with the ultra-Orthodox Kikar Hashabat news site, Barkat blames the opposition for the breakdown of the negotiations, claiming the sides were close to agreement.

“It was the opposition who left the room,” he says.

Nevertheless, Barkat says he backs the resumption of talks after the vote on the bill, which would bar courts from exercising judicial review over the reasonableness of government decisions. Opponents of the legislation have called for mass demonstrations tomorrow if the legislation clears the upcoming plenum reading, the first of three it must pass to become law.

“If you asked me, I’d recommend returning to the President’s Residence between the first and the second and third readings to work out a broadly agreed-upon reasonableness clause, as is possible,” he says.