JERUSALEM (CNN) – Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has dramatically split from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for a pause in the government’s efforts to overhaul Israel’s court system on national security grounds.
The minister’s speech on Saturday night – while Netanyahu was out of the country on an official visit to the UK – made him the first government minister to call for the controversial legislation to be put on hold.
Gallant is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party. His comments open a chasm in Israel’s already finely balanced coalition government that could prevent plans from moving forward.
He said the pause was necessary “for Israel’s security.”
“Any manifestation of refusal that is eroding the strength of the IDF and damaging the security system should be stopped immediately,” Gallant said, referencing the refusal of some Israel Defense Forces reservists to train in protest of the government’s plans.
As he delivered his speech, hundreds of thousands of protesters were moving across the country to protest the plans for the 12th straight week.
Under the proposals, the government would have control over the appointment of judges and Parliament would be given the power to overrule Supreme Court decisions.
The government argues the changes are essential to reining in the Supreme Court, which they see as isolated, elitist and no longer representative of the Israeli people. Opponents say the plans threaten the very foundations of Israeli democracy.
The protests by the military reservists are of particular concern to the Israeli government, since they are regularly called up for training and service even in peacetime.
Shortly after the defense minister’s comments, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged Netanyahu to fire Gallant.
“Gallant has given in to blackmail and threats tonight from all those anarchists who call for resistance and take advantage of it [Israel Defense Forces] as a negotiating tool,” Gvir tweeted.
“Gallant was elected by the votes of right-wing voters and in practice promotes a left-wing agenda. In the moment of truth, he collapsed under pressure from the media and protesters. I urge the Prime Minister to sack him immediately.”
To put further pressure on Netanyahu, Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday gave him a week to respond to a petition calling for him to be held for contempt of court.
The movement for quality government in Israel’s legal move comes after Attorney General Netanyahu said he acted illegally and violated a court-imposed conflict of interest order by saying he would personally participate in the judicial overhaul.
The proposals are met with opposition from across Israeli society
Part of the bill that effectively removes the courts’ power to declare a prime minister incapacitated has already been pushed through.
Critics say Netanyahu is pushing through the changes because of his own ongoing corruption process; Netanyahu denies this.
Netanyahu himself has given no indication that he will back down. In a speech on Thursday, he said he would address concerns “on both sides” but pledged to go ahead with reform plans.
Likud MP Danny Danon said it was too early to know if there were enough rebels in the party to stop the legislation, telling CNN “we won’t know until Monday” when Meet members of the party in the Knesset or in Parliament.
Netanyahu and his allies control 64 seats in the 120-seat legislature, so in theory five Likud rebels could wrest an outright majority from the coalition. But lawmakers can abstain or be absent, reducing the number of votes a law needs to pass.
Or, as Danon put it to CNN, “You don’t really need 61.”