Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday announced a pause to a set of divisive judicial reforms moving through parliament. The move came hours after the head of Israel’s top trade union called for a general strike following weeks of mass protests.
"Out of a sense of national responsibility, out of a will to prevent a rupture among our people, I have decided to pause the second and third readings of the bill," he told the legislature.
Israel's parliament, known as the Knesset, will go on recess next week for the Passover holiday.
Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement, Israel's main labour union called off a nationwide strike against the judicial reform plans.
"The strike that I announced this morning will end," said Arnon Bar-David, chairman of the Histadrut labour federation, praising Netanyahu for the move and offering help in working towards a modified reform.
The Histadrut labour federation, representing hundreds of thousands of workers, issued an ultimatum earlier on Monday.
"Bring back the country's sanity. If you don't announce in a news conference today that you changed your mind, we will go on strike," Bar-David said.
Reporting from Jerusalem, FRANCE 24’s Irris Makler explained that a call for a general strike is extremely rare in Israel.
“The people have spoken, and today we saw the union movement speaking,” said Makkler, adding that the Histadrut press conference on Monday featured unusual scenes rarely seen in Israel’s history.
“It was quite an interesting press conference because it felt like the protests. People were carrying flags, they were shouting “democratia” – democracy – and the union leaders were flanked by industry leaders,” she said. “It’s a sign that there’s chaos everywhere: teachers’ strike, schools are closed, and now, there’s a potential for a general strike.”
Israeli media reported that takeoffs from Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion International Airport had been suspended.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog had urged the government to halt its bitterly contested judicial overhaul.
"For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of responsibility, I call on you to stop the legislative process immediately," he said on Twitter.
Defence minister's dismissal
Herzog’s call followed massive demonstrations over the weekend that saw tens of thousands of protesters take to the streets after Netanyahu fired his defence minister.
Netanyahu on Sunday decided to "dismiss Defence Minister Yoav Gallant", the prime minister's office said in a brief statement.
Gallant had spoken out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.
In response to his sacking, Gallant said on Twitter: "The security of the State of Israel has always been and will always remain the mission of my life."
As news of the dismissal spread, tens of thousands of protesters, many waving blue and white Israeli flags, took to the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Crowds gathered outside Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, at one point breaching a security cordon.
Netanyahu's plan to hand more control to politicians and diminish the role of the Supreme Court has regularly ignited protests and been questioned by Israel's top allies, including the US, which expressed concern Sunday.
Critics say the reform project threatens Israel's democracy, but the government argues changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.
In a televised address last week, the prime minister vowed to "responsibly advance" the reforms and "end the rift" they have caused in the nation.
In response, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Friday accused Netanyahu of "illegal" public intervention on the process of adopting the judicial reforms.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
