Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, is desperately trying to reach a last-minute deal on controversial judicial reform. But just before a central vote, the prime minister had surgery. The opposition is now threatening a general strike in protest.
Ahead of the Knesset’s summer recess, the dispute over the Israeli government’s planned judicial reform is taking on increasingly dramatic forms. This week, the government intends to bring the first element of reform, the abolition of the “adequacy standard”, to the Knesset in second and third readings, probably as early as Monday. Against this, the protest movement is rising with all its might. Demonstrations are planned for Monday in front of Parliament and elsewhere in Jerusalem. Also, there may be strikes across the country; Histadrut, the umbrella organization of Israeli trade unions, wanted to announce a decision on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, thousands of reservists, including Air Force pilots and members of key reconnaissance units, have threatened to boycott their reserve service if the law passes. In addition, dozens of former senior security officials signed a letter calling on the government to suspend the legislation. The signatories include five former Mossad chiefs and three former directors of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency.