Israeli Defense Minister Pledges To Uphold High Court Rulings Amid Party Tensions

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reassured the public on Sunday that he would respect any Supreme Court decision to overturn the recently passed “reasonableness law.” His declaration came amid growing internal conflict within the Likud party regarding the judicial reform legislation. “Israel is a democratic, law-abiding country. We’ll act according to the law,” said Gallant during a government meeting.

Seven members of the Likud party have openly opposed the party’s recent legislative moves, advocating for wider consensus rather than unilateral legislation. Despite this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who last week declined to state whether he would respect the Supreme Court’s ruling on his government’s judicial reform in US media interviews, continues to rally support within the party. In a statement issued over the weekend, Netanyahu’s office asserted that Israeli governments have historically adhered to court decisions.

Amid rumors of internal rebellion, Netanyahu met with Justice Minister Yariv Levin and other Likud members willing to continue with the legislative push. “It’s time to calm down,” he urged. Senior Likud officials alleged to be orchestrating dissent denied any collusion by Netanyahu or his allies.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, a new proposal was added to the government meeting’s agenda, proposing an additional 145 million shekels ($39 million) for ultra-Orthodox institutions and 20 million shekels for institutions aligned with the Religious Zionism party. The funding, which is expected to be approved, will reportedly come from budget cuts across all government ministries.