ABU DHABI, UAE (CNN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he would postpone votes on his proposed judicial reform, but analysts say it may not be enough to cool down the protests.
The prime minister announced that he would postpone the second and third votes on the remaining laws until after the Jewish Passover holiday of April 5-13 “to allow time for a real chance for real debate.”
Netanyahu nonetheless insisted the overhaul was necessary. And while he may be trying to buy himself time, it’s unclear whether his postponement of the vote will silence the huge protests and mass strikes that are crippling the country, experts say.
Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute and a member of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the protests could either subside or resume at a later date after the announcement, but protesters are still “ready” for reform, and can at any time return to the streets.
“Protesters now have the infrastructure to lead protests (to the streets) within minutes,” Rahat told CNN, noting that it’s not just one protest movement, but dozens of groups, some making decisions could continue to demonstrate despite the postponement.
“The infrastructure is there and if there is a need there will be a comeback (on the streets),” he said.
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Former head of Israel’s Intelligence Directorate and executive director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Major General Tamir Hayman, said postponing the vote until after the Passover holiday will not end the anger on the streets.
“The protests will continue unless Netanyahu publicly states that he was wrong in directing this reform and (that) he has every future motivation to renew judicial reform,” Hayman told CNN. “This is the only scenario where we will see a complete halt to all demonstrations.”
But if Netanyahu uses the pause to conduct proper negotiations with all parties, and eventually comes up with a moderated draft reform that the opposition endorses, then “then maybe in the final stage, after Independence Day, we’ll see the protests easing,” said Hayman in view of Israel’s national day on 25/26.
During his speech, Netanyahu also reiterated his criticism of the refusal of some reservists to undergo training or military service in protest of the proposed changes. The prime minister previously fired defense minister Yoav Gallant over his opposition to the proposed overhaul.
“The State of Israel cannot continue with people who refuse to serve in the army,” the prime minister said. “Rejecting is the end of our country.”
INSS’ Hayman said the protests could pose a security threat as some within the military are beginning to split into pro- and anti-judicial camps.
While it hasn’t happened yet, Hayman said, the mass movement could cause “the gaps, the fissures within (IDF) units… to widen and deepen.”
Some of the military personnel Netanyahu is referring to also serve in very critical units, Rahat said. But since these are mostly volunteers who are doing this “because they love their country,” Netanyahu will need to “regain their trust” to bring them back to their posts.
“It’s a legitimacy problem, it’s a trust problem,” Rahat said.