Netanyahu delays judicial overhaul after mass protests

JOSEF FEDERMAN and ILAN BEN ZION Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Bending to a wave of mass protests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed his contentious judicial overhaul plan Monday and said he wanted “to avoid civil war” by making time to seek a compromise with political opponents.

The announcement appeared to calm some of the tensions that have fueled three tumultuous months of unrest. But it failed to address the underlying issues that have polarized the nation, and the anti-government protest movement vowed to intensify its efforts.

In his prime-time address, Netanyahu, who previously rejected calls to delay the legislation, took a more conciliatory tone than in recent speeches. He acknowledged the deep divisions in the country and said he was hitting the pause button “to prevent a rift in the nation.”

<p>Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a highway during a Monday protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system in Tel Aviv, Israel.</p>

Oren Ziv, Associated Press

Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a highway during a Monday protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system in Tel Aviv, Israel.

“When there’s an opportunity to avoid civil war through dialogue, I, as prime minister, am taking a timeout for dialogue,” he said. He vowed to reach a “broad consensus” during the summer session of parliament, which begins April 30.

He spoke after tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated outside parliament, and the country’s largest labor union launched a nationwide strike in a dramatic escalation of the mass protest movement against his plan.

Netanyahu and his religious and ultranationalist allies presented the overhaul in January just days after forming their government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history.

The proposal plunged Israel into its worst domestic crisis in decades. Business leaders, top economists and former security chiefs came out against the plan, saying it is pushing the country toward an autocracy. Fighter pilots and military reservists threatened not to report for duty, and the country’s currency, the shekel, tumbled in value.

<p>Tens of thousands Israelis protest Monday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan outside the parliament in Jerusalem.</p>

Associated Press

Tens of thousands Israelis protest Monday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan outside the parliament in Jerusalem.

The plan would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his allies the final say in appointing the nation’s judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court’s ability to review laws.

Netanyahu argued that the overhaul is needed to rein in a liberal and overly interventionist court of unelected judges. His opponents say the package would damage the country’s system of checks and balances by concentrating power in the hands of Netanyahu’s allies. They also say that he has a conflict of interest as a criminal defendant.

<p>Israelis and police scuffle during a protest Monday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan outside the parliament in Jerusalem.</p>

Ariel Schalit, Associated Press

Israelis and police scuffle during a protest Monday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan outside the parliament in Jerusalem.

Tens of thousands of people, largely secular, middle-class Israelis, have regularly joined mass protests against the plan.

Those demonstrations ramped up Sunday night after Netanyahu abruptly fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who urged the prime minister to put his plan on hold, citing concerns about damage to the Israeli military.

The firing sparked a spontaneous outburst of anger, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in just one hour.

Chanting “the country is on fire,” they lit bonfires on Tel Aviv’s main highway, closing the thoroughfare and many others throughout the country for hours.

Demonstrators continued Monday outside the Knesset, or parliament, turning the streets surrounding the building and the Supreme Court into a roiling sea of blue-and-white Israeli flags dotted with rainbow Pride banners.

“This is the last chance to stop this move into a dictatorship,” said Matityahu Sperber, 68, who joined a stream of people headed to the protest outside the Knesset. “I’m here for the fight to the end.”

<p>Israelis protest Monday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan outside the parliament in Jerusalem.</p>

Ariel Schalit, Associated Press

Israelis protest Monday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan outside the parliament in Jerusalem.

Israel’s main trade union declared a general strike in what it said was the first time it carried out such an action over a political issue.

The chaos shut down much of the country and threatened to paralyze the economy. Departing flights from the main international airport were grounded, stranding tens of thousands of travelers.

Large mall chains and universities closed their doors, and the union called for its 800,000 members to stop work in health care, transit, banking and other fields.

Diplomats walked off the job at foreign missions, and local governments were expected to close preschools and cut other services. The main doctors union announced its members would also strike.

In a sign of easing tensions, the union said late Monday that it halted the strike in response to Netanyahu’s delay.

The announcement appeared to buy the embattled Netanyahu several weeks of quiet. But it was far from clear whether the disputes could be resolved.

<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, stands on the floor of the country's parliament during a Monday vote in Jerusalem.</p>

Maya Alleruzzo, Associated Press

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, stands on the floor of the country's parliament during a Monday vote in Jerusalem.

The country’s figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, said pausing the legislative blitz was “the right thing.”

“This is the time for frank, serious and responsible discussion that will lead urgently to calming spirits and lowering the flames,” he said.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he was willing to hold a “genuine dialogue” under Herzog’s sponsorship.

Israel’s Palestinian citizens have largely sat out the protests. Many say Israel’s democracy is tarnished by its military rule over their brethren in the West Bank and the discrimination they themselves face.

The Biden administration, which has been uneasy with Netanyahu and the far-right elements of his government, welcomed the announcement as “an opportunity to create additional time and space for compromise,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

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