Israeli PM Pauses Controversial Judicial Reforms Amid Protest, Strike Ends Immediately

Amid the ongoing aggression of the citizens over the controversial judicial reforms, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has paused the judicial overhaul.

The announcement of these judicial reforms has triggered a general strike of labour, political division and mass protests in Israel’s most severe domestic crisis in years.

Israeli PM Netanyahu delayed judicial overhaul

After nearly three months of agitation and tension prevailing in the country, PM Netanyahu in a broadcast said, “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.”

The prime minister’s broadcast comes just a day after he fired his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant who had called for a stop to the reforms citing national security concerns.

Prior to the prime minister’s address, on Monday, tens of thousands of protesters had rallied near the parliament in Jerusalem after the strike declaration.

Several, flights had been disrupted, hospitals stopped non-emergency services, and even diplomats walked off the job during the protest.

Strike called off

However, immediately after PM Netanyahu announced the pause, Arnon Bar-David, chairman of the Histadrut trade union confederation, called off the strike.

According to Israel’s media report, almost  80,000 demonstrators joined the Jerusalem rally against the reform package, the latest such protest to draw tens of thousands.

As per the reports, nearby counter-demonstration drew thousands of right-wing backers of the overhaul.

The proposed reforms would diminish the powers of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges.

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Threat to Israel’s democracy

Demonstrators have for months decried the plans as a threat to Israel’s democracy.

Moreover, the Israel Medical Association had joined the strike call, announcing “a full strike in the health system” affecting all public hospitals, though it said life-saving treatments continued.

The stoppage also affected flights at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, where an AFP journalist saw multiple delayed departures.

Diplomatic staff were among those walking out, with Washington embassy spokesman Elad Strohmayer tweeting the Israeli mission “will be closed… until further notice.”