21:32
THE DAY – Netanyahu gives in and postpones justice reform
Benyamin Netanyahu postpones justice reform until the next session of the Knesset after Passover in the name of “national responsibility” and to avoid “civil war”. At the same time he leaves the law on the table, inviting the opposition to dialogue for the necessary “adjustments”.
At the end of the most hectic 24 hours in Israel’s recent history, the prime minister – after postponing his speech for the whole day – finally decided to speak in the evening to a country paralyzed by a general strike which stopped everything possible, including flights departing from Ben Gurion and Israeli embassy offices around the world. The fuse for the protests, after weeks of tension, was lit on Sunday evening by the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, guilty of having asked for a break in the reform process while sharing its contents. A move that sparked, starting from the night, the largest protest demonstrations in recent days, culminating in the afternoon with about 100,000 people in front of the Knesset in Jerusalem.
A showdown to which the right responded by convening a counter-demonstration again in front of Parliament. The risk that the situation would precipitate into an irreparable state was palpable all day and for this reason the talks within the government majority intensified, given that the prime minister had first of all to convince the riotous ultra-right allies of the need to let the souls. After Netanyahu’s televised speech, the union immediately called off the strike while the opposition said it was willing to accept the prime minister’s outstretched hand.
Netanyahu had to mediate first with his national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir (Jewish Power), ready to open the government crisis. With him – according to what was announced by the far-right leader himself – he agreed to pause the reform in exchange for the examination, in the next government session, of the creation of a civil National Guard of volunteers reporting directly to the minister. A fixed point of Ben Gvir, which he advanced when the government was formed and dusted off for the occasion. “I agreed to remove my veto – wrote Ben Gvir – in exchange for this commitment”. A concession judged by analysts to be at least problematic given the already existing presence of the police, the border guard, the Shin Bet (Internal Security) and the army itself. Even more complicated is the relationship with the Minister of Finance and leader of Religious Zionism Bezalel Smotrich, who does not intend to give up. “We must not stop the reform for any reason. We are the majority – he said announcing his presence at the right-wing demonstration in the Knesset-, we must not surrender to violence, anarchy, wildcat strikes, disobedience. We will not allow them to steal our votes and our state.”
After all, Netanyahu himself said in his speech that he had convinced “most of his government allies”, not all. There is therefore a misalignment in the positions, even if the choice seems to have been made. On the opposite side, the centrist leader Benny Gantz – evoked by Netanyahu himself in the speech – said that he will present himself for the dialogue, in the residence of the head of state Isaac Herzog, “with an open heart and a sincere soul”. “We must oppose a civil war”, he added, “say no to violence and yes to agreements and dialogue”. A call against the violence that Netanyahu himself insisted on, denouncing “a minority of extremists” and inviting the army leaders to use a heavy hand against reservists who are opposed to presenting themselves in the name of civil disobedience against the reform. “I will support any just dialogue initiative but – underlined Gantz – we will not compromise on the principles of democracy”. And Yair Lapid did the same, declaring himself willing to start a dialogue under the aegis of Herzog, who was among the first to welcome Netanyahu’s openness.
20:41
Clashes between pro-reform protesters and police in Tel Aviv
Right-wing protesters who rallied in support of the Netanyahu-led judicial overhaul have confronted local law enforcement during their counter-protest. Protesters threw a smoke grenade and other objects, including flagpoles, at nearby police officers and members of the media.
20:39
Proponents of reform break through police blockade in Be’er Sheva
Hundreds of right-wing counter-demonstrators broke through a blockade on Rager Boulevard in Be’er Sheba and joined opposition demonstrators protesting the judicial review. The police are intervening between the parties. Families and children are present at the right-wing demonstration, and for most of its duration, the demonstration was conducted in an orderly fashion. However, in the front row, next to the anti-revision demonstrators, there are several hooded youths who are swearing and making threatening gestures.
19:56
President Herzog: “We need responsible dialogue”
“The postponement of the reform is the right thing. This is the time to start a serious and responsible dialogue that urgently restores calm and lowers the flames”: said the head of state of Israel Isaac Herzog commenting on the speech by Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu. “For our national unity and for the future of our children, we must enter into dialogue immediately and develop the broadest possible agreements. Only in this way – concluded Herzog – will we be able to get Israel out of the crisis”.
19:55
Gantz: “Reform postponement? Better late than never”
“Better late than never”. This is how former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, now leader of the centrist opposition National Unity party, commented on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement on justice reform.
19:49
The general strike of the trade unions has been cancelled
The main Israeli unions have canceled the general strike scheduled for tomorrow. This was announced by Arnon Bar David, the head of Israel’s largest trade union, the Histadrut. The decision was made after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to postpone the controversial justice reform.
19:48
The oppositions accept dialogue with Netanyahu
“I will present myself to the dialogue, in the residence of the head of state Isaac Herzog, with an open heart and a sincere soul”: said Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist Mahane Mamlachti party, thus accepting the appeal previously launched by premier Benyamin Netanyahu. “We must oppose a civil war”, he added, “say no to violence and yes to agreements and dialogue. I will support any just dialogue initiative, but we will not compromise on the principles of democracy”. Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Aitd party, also said he was willing to start a dialogue under the aegis of Herzog.
19:39
Netanyahu: “Sooner or later the reform will pass”
“Most” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allies share his decision to postpone the much-contested justice reform. Netanyahu himself said it, adding that, one way or another, in the end the justice reform will pass.
19:25
Netanyahu: ‘We cannot afford a civil war’
“I’m not ready to split the nation in half.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared this in a speech to the country, referring to the tensions over the reform of the judiciary. “Now I’m saying we can’t have a civil war. We are on the road towards dangerous clashes in Israeli society, towards a crisis”, underlined the prime minister on live TV.