As the situation in Israel is worsening, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his ministers may have decided to halt the reforms. President Herzog recently asked for this. And also the Minister of Defense-after which he was removed from office.
According to a media report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will announce the suspension of the controversial judicial reform on Monday morning. This is reported by Channel 12. President Yitzhak Herzog had already asked the government to relent. “For the sake of the unity of the Israeli people, for the sake of accountability, I urge you to stop the legislation immediately,” he said on Monday morning. People are in deep fear.
According to media reports, Netanyahu wants to comment on the controversial judicial reform on Monday morning. As public broadcaster Kan reports, citing sources close to Netanyahu, the speech is scheduled for 10 am local time (9 am CEST). The head of government’s office declined to confirm this at first.
Should Netanyahu announce that the plans will be frozen, it could lead to massive protests in his right-wing religious coalition. Netanyahu consulted several ministers in his coalition overnight.
In the morning, the protests in front of the parliament in Jerusalem continued. In Israel, the political crisis escalated dramatically following the resignation of Defense Minister Joav Galant over his criticism of a highly controversial judicial reform. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv last night to protest the resignation ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the reform plans of his religious right-wing government. There were violent clashes with the police, who used water cannons and squads of cavalry.
Government wants to strengthen its influence
There have been violent protests for months against the reform, which aims to reduce the Supreme Court’s influence and strengthen the government’s position of power at the expense of the independent judiciary. With the resignation of Defense Minister Yoav Galant, the dispute reached a preliminary climax over the weekend. Tens of thousands spontaneously gathered in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision. They blocked the central road to Jerusalem.
There were also protests in other Israeli cities overnight. Protesters also gathered outside Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem. They broke through a roadblock near the prime minister’s house. There were also protests in the northern city of Haifa and in Beer Sheva in the south of the country.
Judiciary reform cracks Israel’s government
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called for the controversial bill to be suspended. He was then sacked by the Prime Minister. More on that.
US asks for commitment
The US reacted with concern to the demonstrations and asked for a deal. “We are deeply concerned about today’s developments in Israel, which underscore the urgent need for compromise,” the White House said Sunday night (local time). Democratic values have always been and must remain a hallmark of US-Israeli relations. Fundamental changes to a democratic system – as the Israeli government is planning with judicial reform – must be pursued with the widest possible support from the public, he said. “We continue to urge the Israeli leadership to find a deal as soon as possible.”
Israel’s Consul General in New York, Asaf Zamir, resigned in protest of Galant’s resignation. This was “a dangerous decision,” Zamir said on Twitter. The lawsuit made him realize that he “can no longer represent this government”.
No criticism allowed?
Former defense minister Galant surprisingly called on his own government to hold talks with critics on Saturday night. Galant warned that national security could be seriously undermined. The background is that many reservists did not show up for duty in protest against the reform. Netanyahu responded by firing him.
(APA/dpa/AFP)