The Knesset Law Committee was baffled on Sunday when legal adviser Annie Bligh referenced a supposed 2023 judicial reform, with Knesset members arguing whether it indeed occurred and struggling to remember what it allegedly entailed.
Law Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman insisted that there was no judicial overhaul, but noted that it did seem like a good idea.
“That was the year of the October 7 massacre – don’t be ridiculous. Judicial reform? I think I would remember something like that,” Rothman said. “Sounds a bit crazy, but it sounds like the type of crazy I could get behind.”
MK Gilad Kariv was incensed that Rothman had forgotten, but when pressed, could not remember the details of the alleged 2023 legislative campaign.
“We must have been arguing about something that year,” said Kariv. “What was it?”
Rothman suggested that they may have been arguing about the ceasefire deal, but Kariv said that he seems to recall there had been a prior major dispute.
At this point, MK Tally Gotliv loudly interjected, but it was unclear to politicians, journalists, and official transcripts what she had said.
Country torn in pieces
After the ringing in everyone’s ears died down, committee spokesperson Utter Gal explained that the country had been torn apart by the reform, with Kaplan Force and Black Flag protesters marching in the streets. Many had called for fresh elections.
MK Matan Kahana suggested that the government legal advisers were the ones who had been confused, as this was currently going on, and it seemed unlikely that the protesters had been in a constant state of outrage since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s last government.
Legal assistant Noa Rah mentioned that there had been a historic court ruling on reasonableness in January.
MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen didn’t believe that reasonableness was a word, and when Rah explained it, seemed skeptical that such an ambiguous legal concept existed.
Rothman chided the committee aides for distracting the MKs with fairy tales, as there was no way that Israel would be split on such trivial non-war matters.
“Unity!” agreed Kariv, before the committee moved on to squabble about the haredi draft law.
After the meeting had ended, Gotliv began to yell again, but everyone had already left the chamber.