Demonstrators opposed to the prime minister’s judicial reform plan block a highway in Tel Aviv, Israel March 26, 2023 after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was sacked by Binyamin Netanyahu. OHAD ZWIGENBERG/AP
Benyamin Netanyahu stands against the wall. On the evening of March 27, the Israeli prime minister hoped to quell the burgeoning revolt within his party, the Likud, by dismissing his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who had publicly called for judicial reform to be postponed. But he ended up stoking the wrath of the streets and with this firing demonstrated the hard line of his administration, which for three months has been deaf to the protest movement of his plan to drastically reduce the Supreme Court’s powers. On Monday morning, the leader continued his deliberations, overwhelmed by the protests, which have reached unprecedented proportions, and fearing his coalition could fall apart, plagued by disagreements over how to proceed.
The Israeli press has indicated that the prime minister is now considering postponing his reform. He is assured of the support of the two ultra-Orthodox parties Shass and United Torah Judaism, as well as the three Likud ministers Nir Barkat, Miki Zohar and Amichai Chikli, who have spoken out publicly on the issue. Benyamin Netanyahu had planned to speak in the middle of the morning to announce his decision before canceling his speech. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of the supremacist Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”) party threatened to overthrow the government if plans to transform the judiciary were shelved. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who has led the reform since it began on January 4, would have thrown his resignation into the balance.
President Isaac Herzog abandoned his traditional reticence and tried Monday morning to persuade the prime minister to back down. “We saw some very difficult scenes last night,” he said. In the name of the unity of the people of Israel, in the name of the responsibility that binds us, I ask you to stop the legislative process immediately. “Since last night, calls like this have been piling up. One of the prime minister’s lawyers, Boez Ben Zur, even threatened to stop representing him if he didn’t cave in
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“A threat to security”
There is an urgent need for a decision for the Prime Minister. Yoav Gallant’s firing sent shockwaves. Less than an hour after his release, tens of thousands of Israelis spontaneously gathered across the country, blocking certain roads and marching towards the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament and the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem. They were evacuated a few hours later. The Ayalon Expressway, Tel Aviv’s bypass, only reopened in the early hours of Monday morning. Another demonstration was planned for the afternoon outside the Knesset as the opposition, emboldened by their show of force, called for a “week of paralysis”.
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