(JNS) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to freeze his government’s judicial reform program on Monday amid chaotic scenes in Tel Aviv.
He is expected to deliver a speech after Israelis took to the streets en masse Sunday night to protest his firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Netanyahu was set to address the country at 10 a.m. but delayed the speech amid reports that several members of his coalition are threatening to bring down the government unless the judicial reform effort continues apace.
A general strike has been called in Israel and thousands have taken to the streets as Netanyahu is set to back down on judicial reforms.
— The Jewish Chronicle (@JewishChron) March 27, 2023
Read more here: https://t.co/FEJgNwm1Ck pic.twitter.com/LLoARnUArU
Israel’s Histadrut labor federation on Monday morning announced a general strike.
“It’s time to say so much. There is a limit to how much you can stand back. I tried to avoid a strike and a shutdown, but it is impossible to stay in the face of this discrimination and polarization,” Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David said at a press conference.
The head of the workers union at Ben-Gurion Airport announced an immediate stop to departures at Israel’s main international gateway, minutes after Bar-David’s statement.
“I ordered the immediate halt of takeoffs at the airport,” Israel Airports Authority workers committee chairman Pinchas Idan said.
Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, the country’s largest hospital, said it would join the general strike, and the Israel Medical Association announced the shutdown of the health system.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid spoke to the press on Monday morning, calling on Netanyahu’s coalition to freeze the legislative process and enter into negotiations with the opposition.
“I call on the government to come to its senses and speak to us—let’s go to [the President’s Residence] and have a country based on agreements and mutual respect,” Lapid said.
A mass demonstration is planned outside the Knesset on Monday afternoon.
Earlier, MK Simcha Rothman, the chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, convened a meeting for the final committee votes on the bill to change the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee, part of the coalition’s legal reform program. The committee passed the bill which will now be voted on in the Knesset plenum.
Netanyahu sacked Gallant on Sunday night after the latter called for a halt to the government’s judicial reform initiative in a televised address to the nation.
After the announcement, mass demonstrations took place across the country with protesters in Tel Aviv blocking the Ayalon Highway in both directions before being dispersed by mounted police and water cannons. The road reopened to traffic hours after it was cleared.
Netanyahu and his political allies held emergency meetings throughout the night. The premier is expected to publicly address the calls to stop the legislative push for judicial reform and the firing of Gallant.
President Isaac Herzog, in a statement following the protests, called for an immediate halt to the legislative process.
“Last night we witnessed very difficult scenes. I appeal to the prime minister, members of the government, and members of the coalition: There are harsh and painful feelings. The entire nation is rapt with deep worry. Our security, economy, society—all are under threat,” Herzog said.
The president continued: “The whole people of Israel is looking at you. The whole Jewish people is looking at you. The whole world is looking at you.
“For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of the necessary responsibility, I call on you to halt the legislative process immediately. I appeal to the leaders of all Knesset factions, coalition and opposition alike, to place this country’s citizens above all else and to act with courage and responsibility without further delay. Wake up now! This is not a political moment; this is a moment for leadership and responsibility,” Herzog said.
