Netanyahu delays judicial reform law until summer

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed the approval of judicial reform in Parliament until the summer session, reported state radio station Kan.

Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir agreed to a suspension of judicial reform, according to the radio station. The Jewish Power party, led by Ben-Gvir, said that following coalition consultations, it was decided to postpone the approval of judicial reform in parliament until the summer session.

Netanyahu, in turn, agreed to the formation of a new power structure – the National Guard. It will be transferred under the control of the Ministry of National Security headed by Ben-Gvir.

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog earlier today called for an immediate halt to the adoption of judicial reform amid anti-government protests.

On March 26, thousands of demonstrators spontaneously took to the streets to protest against Netanyahu’s policies. The reason was his decision to dismiss Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who had previously spoken out against judicial reform. The reform is actively promoted by the ruling coalition, while the Israeli opposition opposes it.

According to Galant, the reform causes a split in society and poses a threat to national security. He acknowledged that the country’s judicial system needs to be changed, but they need to be implemented through a broad dialogue, he added.

The reform the ruling coalition is pushing for would see the government gaining full control over the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court, while stripping it of the right to review the country’s fundamental laws. According to Netanyahu, the reform is designed to balance the branches of government. At the same time, his opponents accuse the prime minister of encroaching on the democratic foundations of the state. Earlier, the President of Israel called the reform a “nightmare” and a “calamity”, and ex-Prime Minister Yair Lapid also criticized it.