Smotrich and Rotman Revive Judicial Overhaul Plans Post-Election

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and MK Simcha Rotman, Chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, are set to unveil a comprehensive plan for judicial reform. The initiative, which outlines the Religious Zionism party's legislative agenda following the upcoming elections, will be presented to journalists before its public release. This move reasserts judicial reform as a central political issue, building on previous efforts by Smotrich, Rotman, and the coalition during the last government.

Key proposals within the plan include the abolition of the "reasonableness" standard for judicial review, altering the composition of the committee that selects judges, modifying the process for appointing the ombudsman for judges, and curtailing the authority of the Attorney General. The Religious Zionism party also highlighted past legislative achievements such as overturning the "Afroim ruling," passing the Rabbinical Courts Law, and ending funding for legal representation for victims of the October 7th attacks.

This judicial reform agenda marks Smotrich's third major policy proposal in the lead-up to the elections. Previous plans focused on streamlining reserve duty through workforce optimization and promoting settlement expansion from Judea and Samaria to the Negev and Galilee regions.