Smotrich vows to move ahead with overhaul, says ‘reasonableness’ bill fills ‘vital need’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says a bill to curtail judicial review over the “reasonableness” of elected officials’ decisions will fulfill a “vital need,” ahead of its first plenum reading today.

“This is the way to enable an elected government to implement its policy according to the law and to prevent, for example, cases like what happened in the past when the High Court of Justice prevented the deportation of terrorists’ families,” the far-right minister says at the outset of his Religious Zionism party’s Knesset faction meeting.

“Unlike the opposition, which behaves irresponsibly and is caught up with incitement, we in the coalition act responsibly. We will continue to advance, with determination and responsibility, necessary amendments to the judicial system, as we promised the public before the elections and in accordance with the mandate we received from the people,” he says.

An anti-overhaul protester interrupts Smotrich’s remarks, telling the Religious Zionism party head to “choose the people of Israel, land isn’t everything,” before being escorted out.

Smotrich pledges to move ahead with the coalition’s judicial shakeup and dismisses calls by opposition leaders to pause the legislation to enable dialogue.

He also calls for negotiations on judicial reform to be held as part of the legislative process, rather than as separate talks in which the legislation would be paused.

“There is discussion all of the time. I don’t understand this idea of stopping for dialogue. The Knesset is a place for dialogue,” he says. “It’s the most democratic thing in the world.”

Addressing US President Joe Biden’s Sunday criticism that Israel has an extremist government and that continued settlement expansion is a threat to peace, Smotrich — a longtime settlement advocate — says that he “respect[s]” the president, but disagrees on West Bank policy.

The United States “wants two states for two people and we think it’s suicide,” says Smotrich, who also holds a post in the Defense Ministry giving him extensive authority over settlement construction.

He adds that “it’s our right” to build throughout the West Bank.