UTJ official: Despite Netanyahu’s statements, ‘override clause’ is still happening

An insider in the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party says that despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements to the contrary, he believes that an “override clause” will be advanced in the next Knesset session.

The Ynet news site cited both an unnamed senior official in UTJ and Avraham Yustman, a member of the faction’s negotiating team, saying that the legislation — which would allow the Knesset to override High Court rulings that strike down legislation — will be advancing, with the support of Netanyahu.

In a series of interviews to English-language media in recent weeks, Netanyahu has repeatedly said that such a clause is no longer on the table. The Haredi parties have pushed for it in part due to their desire to legislate IDF exemptions for yeshiva students — something the court has repeatedly struck down.

“If we need [the clause] in the framework of defending the draft law — of course it will happen,” Yustman says.