Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering last-minute changes to the reasonableness standard bill, according to a number of reports on Tuesday.
According to a report by KAN, the prime minister was holding consultations regarding the bill with aides and academics. Channel 12 reported that the president's office was involved as well.
The Office of the President issued a statement in response to the reports.
"The president blesses every attempt to arrive at a broad agreement. The president repeats his call to hold dialogue. If only one side wins, the state loses. At this stage, the Office of the President is not aware of any agreements," the statement read.
What is the reasonableness standard bill and how would it change Israeli courts?
The "reasonableness standard bill" is an amendment to Basic Law: The Judiciary, that would block Israel's courts from applying what is known as the "reasonableness standard" to decisions made by elected officials. The reasonableness standard is a common law doctrine that allows for judicial review against government administrative decisions that are deemed beyond the scope of what a responsible and reasonable authority would undertake.
The bill's current wording bars the use of the standard for decisions made by the prime minister, the cabinet as a whole, or any specific minister. According to Channel 12, a possible softening of the bill would allow for the use of the standard on decisions by specific ministers, and only block its use in decisions made by the cabinet as a whole.
The reports were not confirmed by the Prime Minister's Office.