Meeting with Netanyahu – Israel’s President Herzog wants compromise

Tel Aviv In Israel, parliament has begun deliberations on a key element of controversial plans to overhaul the judiciary. The law of the right-wing religious government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to be passed in the coming days. At the weekend, however, hundreds of thousands took to the streets again.

Rallies were planned again on Sunday, both by opponents and supporters. Shortly before the consultations began, Netanyahu was fitted with a pacemaker. According to the doctors, the 73-year-old survived the operation at the Sheba Hospital near Tel Aviv well.

The Knesset in Jerusalem held a special session to pass the controversial law. The final vote is expected on Monday at the earliest. The law is part of a larger package that critics see as a threat to Israel’s democracy. According to media reports, efforts to reach a last-minute compromise were still going on in the background.

All previous negotiations between the coalition and the opposition had been unsuccessful. Netanyahu assured during the night: “Efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement continue.”

Bar association wants to take action against the law

With the law, the country’s highest court should no longer be able to assess a decision by the government or individual ministers as “inappropriate”. Critics fear that this will encourage corruption and thus the arbitrary filling of important posts and layoffs.

The Netanyahu government, on the other hand, accuses the judiciary of interfering too much in political decisions. The head of the Bar Association, Amit Becher, announced in Jerusalem that he would take legal action against the law if it were passed.

Pacemaker for Prime Minister

According to his office, Netanyahu should be able to leave the hospital again in the afternoon. So he could be part of the vote. However, a cabinet meeting scheduled for Sunday has been postponed “indefinitely”.

The doctors reported after the procedure: “Everything went well. The Prime Minister is feeling very well this morning.” Netanyahu was hospitalized a week ago. At that time it was still said that he had been in the sun for too long without water and a hat.

Protests don’t stop

Hundreds of thousands took to the streets against the planned weakening of the judiciary on Saturday. Channel 13 estimates that around 170,000 people gathered in the center of the coastal city of Tel Aviv and 85,000 in Jerusalem.

According to media reports, there were occasional violent clashes with the police. Several demonstrators were arrested. The organizers put the number of participants nationwide at more than half a million – one of the largest protest days since the demonstrations began in early January.
>>Read also: “No market without democracy” – the tech scene rebels against Israel’s judicial reform

Israel has ten million inhabitants. The planned restructuring of the judiciary has been dividing large sections of society for more than six months. Protest signs in Tel Aviv read, for example, “Netanyahu enemy of democracy” or “Save our homeland”.

Supporters of judicial reform also gathered. According to media reports, advocates of judicial reform attacked a journalist and his camera team for reasons that were initially unclear. According to the information, many of the demonstrators came by bus from other places in the country to Tel Aviv, which is considered liberal.

Pressure on government from military ranks

Recently, resistance within the military has also increased. Around 10,000 reservists announced on Saturday that they would no longer be on duty if the government did not stop their plans. According to reports, this could significantly affect the operational readiness of the military. On Friday, more than 1,000 Air Force reservists had already threatened to refuse service. Defense Minister Joav Galant then announced that he was trying to reach a “consensus”.

Thousands also marched to the headquarters of the Confederation of Labor (Histadrut) in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, demanding a general strike be called. Histadrut boss Arnon Bar-David held consultations on how to proceed.

The Histadrut, with 800,000 members, had already called for a general strike at the end of March because of Netanyahu’s dismissal of Galant. The defense minister had previously criticized the restructuring of the judiciary. Netanyahu temporarily suspended the plans and the dismissal was reversed.

Last minute compromise? Meeting between Netanyahu and President Herzog

President Izchak Herzog met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly before the decisive vote. The President’s office said the “urgent meeting” on Sunday evening was about reaching a compromise between the government and the opposition on the controversial restructuring of the judiciary.

“This is a time of emergency. An agreement must be reached, ”said Herzog according to the information. Herzog was then scheduled to meet opposition leader Jair Lapid that evening. According to media reports, the meeting between Netanyahu and Herzog took place in the hospital.

More: New protests in Israel – Netanyahu defends judicial restructuring