Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann responded to criticism from MK Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) on Monday, saying that a speech in which Gal-On slammed his plan to limit the kind of cases brought before the Supreme Court “had no basis in fact.”  “Meretz is supposed to be a rationalist party, not a religious party,” Friedmann said.  “Don’t hold a cult service,” he told Gal-On, “even for the Supreme Court.”

Friedmann rejected Gal-On’s concerns that limiting the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction could lead to human rights violations.  “There was a long period in which efforts were made to present the Knesset as harming human rights, and the court as the one who would rescue us,” he said.  “I don’t believe that.”