New York, NY, July 24, 2023 ... ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today issued the following statement on the Israeli government's passage of the judiciary reasonableness bill:
We are deeply disappointed that the Israeli government passed the controversial Reasonableness Bill, failing to heed the call of President Herzog and others to reach a compromise rooted in a broad societal consensus.
As we have previously said, this initiative and other judicial overhaul proposals could weaken Israeli democracy and harm Israel’s founding principles as laid out in the Declaration of Independence.
The failure to reach a compromise has led to unprecedented divisions within Israeli society, threatening both the country’s social cohesion, economic well-being and, according to experts, its security preparedness. This week, when Jewish people around the world fast in commemoration of the solemn day of Tisha B’Av, it’s incredibly painful to see such deep divisions in our community.
We continue to believe that in this historic moment, all Israeli political leaders should demonstrate courage and willingness to compromise and make concessions. There is no legislation that is more important than the well-being of the Israeli society. We strongly urge the Israeli government to refrain from moving additional judicial overhaul bills forward and focus instead on working together with Israeli civil leadership to build consensus and cohesion aimed at healing the wounds within Israeli society.
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.