Defense minister says government ‘will act according to law’ if Supreme Court strikes down the Reasonableness law

On his way to Sunday morning's weekly cabinet meeting, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the State of Israel is "a country of democratic law" and would "act according to the law."

Gallant's statement was in response to a journalist asking him what the government would do if the Supreme Court were to strike down the Reasonableness Standard Law that was passed on Monday.

The journalist's inquiry came as leaked reports of disagreements from within the Likud faction began to circulate over the weekend.

Gallant, who voted in favor of the Reasonableness Standard Law, was reported to have made several efforts to reach a consensus ahead of the vote.

During a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer last Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to directly answer the question of whether he would abide by the High Court's decision to strike down the Reasonableness Standard Law.

Netanyahu said he would continue to reach out to the opposition concerning negotiations to reach a compromise on the contentious law.

“We will take advantage of the summer recess to try to reach agreements, hope that our outstretched hand will not remain in the air. It is possible and necessary to reach agreements, and a large majority of the public understands this simple truth."

The prime minister has largely refrained from conducting interviews with local Israeli media since becoming prime minister in November. Last week, he opted to go on a U.S. media blitz to express his position and convictions about the law debate.

Israeli media revisited the events that took place in the morning of the Knesset vote, reporting that Gallant was in discussion with several coalition members, including Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairperson Simcha Rothman in a Knesset hallway.

“The problem doesn’t lie in what we decide today. Every decision will be detrimental. The real issue is that you’ve led us to this critical juncture,” Gallant reportedly told Levin.

In addition, videos of the Knesset session leading up to the vote also showed Gallant in intense discussions with Netanyahu and Levin. In one video, the defense minister could be heard saying: “Give me something.”

Gallant, who previously warned that pushing the reforms without broad support could harm the Israel Defense Forces' ability to respond to enemy threats, admitted last week that he voted in favor of the bill in order to remain in government.

Last week, Gallant spoke to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and affirmed that “Israel is a strong democracy and will remain so in the future.”