Recap of events
Israel’s embattled leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, has announced he is pausing a controversial plan to overhaul the judiciary to give time for “dialogue” following the biggest domestic protest movement in Israeli history. The prime minister had been under pressure for weeks from far-right figures in his governing coalition to push ahead with the bill, while critics say it will create a system where governments can rule unchallenged.
The decision to delay only postpones the issue for several weeks, and it is not clear if the protests will end.
In exchange for agreeing to the delay, the far-right Jewish Power said the prime minister had offered the formation of a civil “national guard”, causing concern about an armed group under the control of far-right politician, Itamar Ben Gvir.
The crisis reached a climax on Sunday evening after Netanyahu sacked his defence minister for opposing the overhaul, sparking mass protests across the country overnight. In support of the protests, Israel’s largest trade union group launched a general strike this morning, with hundreds of thousands of people working in banks, transportation and health being told not to turn up for work. Following Netanyahu’s evening address, the union called off the strike. Major seaports had also halted work, while Israel’s main airport saw departures stop on Monday.
Israel’s embassies, including the one in Washington, reopened after Netanyahu decided to delay his judicial overhaul. The “strike is over and the embassy is reopened,” said Elad Strohmayer, spokesperson for the embassy in Washington DC.
The issue of the occupation of the Palestinian territories has not played a large part in the protests despite it being the most pressing international issue.
Updated
Explainer: What happens next?
Bethan McKernan and Quique Kierzenbaum in Jerusalem
After three months of unrelenting public pressure, the biggest protest movement in Israeli history achieved its goal: the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, finally announced a halt to his far-right government’s judicial overhaul weakening the supreme court in a televised address on Monday evening.
Proponents say the changes are needed to curb the powers of the supreme court, which plays an outsized checks-and-balances role in a country with no formal constitution and only one legislative chamber.
It is not lost on anyone that the proposals could help Netanyahu in his corruption trial, in which he denies all charges. Critics of the move say it will undermine democratic norms and the rule of law, allowing the far-right elements of Netanyahu’s coalition to press ahead with draconian measures limiting the rights of minorities, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Even as Israel grappled with nationwide upheaval, a parliamentary committee continued to push elements of the legislation forward to votes on the Knesset floor, and the far-right architects of the overhaul reiterated their determination to pass the most important elements before the Knesset breaks up for the Passover holiday on 2 April.
After a day of fractious negotiations with the prime minister’s office, the far-right coalition party Jewish Power issued a statement on Monday evening saying it had agreed to push the legislation to the next parliamentary session.
For both sides, the fight is far from over. The compromise raises the spectre of new elections if the government collapses through infighting. Many Israelis would dread that prospect: voters have been evenly split over whether Netanyahu is fit to lead the country in five polls since 2019.
After a short stint in opposition, the prime minister returned to office in December for a record-breaking sixth term after convincing three small far-right groups to run on one slate so they could clear the Knesset threshold. The move worked, giving Netanyahu’s bloc a majority of four in the 120-seat Knesset, although he won just 49.57% of the vote.
Much of the Israeli public, jaded by the endless electoral cycle, did not see the threat from the far right coming. In office, Netanyahu’s partners have proved unpalatable to the majority of the country.
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