From our correspondent in Tel Aviv, Daniel Blumenthal
It is the second day of deliberations and consultations under the auspices of Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog to reach an agreement between the government and the opposition in an atmosphere of mistrust.
The opposition believes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that he will halt progress on approving judicial reform legislation is nothing more than a hoax designed to deaden popular protest by those trying to prevent Israel from establishing a dictatorship become. The head of the opposition, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, said that “anyone who worked with Netanyahu knows his tricks” and that it was necessary to remain vigilant.
The organizers of the protests will not interrupt them, but there are fears that from now on the protesters will face the violent militias that Netanyahu and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir are preparing. As part of an agreement to halt judicial reform while avoiding the disintegration of his ruling coalition, Netanyahu promised Ben Gvir the creation of a National Guard, which will be nothing more than a private police force commanded by this minister.
Furthermore, Netanyahu believed that tensions with Washington were under control but was surprised by President Biden’s words, who said that the Israeli prime minister would not be invited to the White House for the time being.
>More on Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial judicial reform:
Israel: Judicial reform, leverage between Netanyahu and his government’s extreme right