ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA IN THE MEDIA   ZOA Quoted on Judicial Reform Passage, U.S. Jewish Groups Pick Sides   By Menachem Wecker and David Swindle   Mort Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America: ''ZOA strongly supports and praises Israel for ending the unelected Supreme Court’s regular use of abrogating a Knesset-passed law by merely claiming that they believe the law is ‘unreasonable.’” The American Jewish Committee referred to the democratically passed law as “pushed through” the Israeli legislature. (JULY 24, 2023 / JNS) The same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was released from the hospital after pacemaker surgery, the Knesset passed a key piece of the coalition’s judicial reform legislation on Monday. The law bars judges from using “reasonableness” as the standard with which to reverse laws passed by elected officials. Sam Markstein, national political director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, told JNS that the group joins David Friedman, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, in “hoping and praying that efforts continue—and succeed—to find a consensus.” “Like other Jewish Americans, Jewish Republicans have varying views about Israel’s difficult judicial reform debate,” Markstein told JNS. “But we’ve been consistent in saying that Americans should respect Israel’s sovereign right to set its own course through its own democratic institutions.” Mort Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, told JNS that ZOA “strongly supports and praises Israel for ending the unelected Supreme Court’s regular use of abrogating a Knesset-passed law by merely claiming that they believe the law is ‘unreasonable.’” Klein said such a standard is subjective. “What’s ‘unreasonable’ to one is ‘reasonable’ to another. There is no criteria as to how to judge ‘reasonableness’ — it’s simply the judge’s personal opinion and worldview,” he said. “This is an absurd basis and power the Supreme Court has arrogated to itself, which is nothing short of judicial tyranny and judicial dictatorship.” Klein told JNS that the bill’s passage “made the judicial system more democratic, not less democratic, by putting back power in the hands of elected officials accountable to the people and out of the hands of unelected judges.” Mitchell Bard, executive director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, told JNS that elections have consequences. “Netanyahu won, and it was democratic for his government to fulfill the promises to its constituents,” he said.     READ MORE       More on Judicial Reform: Watch Now: Newsmax Interviews ZOA’s Mort Klein on Israel Curbing Supreme Court “Reasonableness” Standard WATCH NOW     Share This Email Share This Email VISIT OUR WEBSITE   Founded in 1897, ZOA played a key role in the Jewish State's re-establishment. Today, ZOA is the leading major American Jewish organization courageously defending Israel and the Jewish people; fighting against all forms of antisemitism, including anti-Jewish boycotts; and promoting the Jewish people's lawful right to live in and settle historic Jewish lands. ZOA exposes that a Palestinian state would endanger Israel's existence; presents the facts about the Arab/Islamic war against Israel; and combats the anti-Israel lie that Israel is an "occupier" of her own land. ZOA spearheaded long battles to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and apply civil rights protections to Jewish students. ZOA provides free legal assistance and programs to pro-Israel students at numerous college campuses. ZOA's bold, unapologetic voice has a significant impact on public discourse and policy. DONATE NOW Copyright © Zionist Organization of America 2023, All rights reserved. Zionist Organization of America | 633 Third Ave, 31 B, New York, NY 10017 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]