Following the sudden dismissal of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in protest across the country. The move by Netanyahu was in response to Gallant’s opposition to the prime minister’s plan to modify the judiciary’s powers, which has caused widespread concern and unrest in Israel. The protests have been ongoing for months, and the firing of Gallant has only served to deepen the crisis.
In Tel Aviv, protesters blocked a main highway and lit large bonfires, while in Jerusalem, police scuffled with protesters outside Netanyahu’s private home. The unrest has alarmed business leaders and former security chiefs, as well as drawing concern from the United States and other close allies. The firing of Gallant has also signalled that Netanyahu is not willing to listen to his own party members, as Gallant was the first senior member of the ruling Likud party to speak out against the plan.
As the protests continued late into the night, Likud ministers appeared more willing to hit the brakes on the plan. Culture Minister Micky Zohar, a Netanyahu confidant, said the party would support him if he decided to pause the legislation. However, Netanyahu postponed a public statement in which he had been expected to call a halt to the legislation after a coalition ally urged him not to back down.
The head of Israel’s largest trade union group, Arnon Bar-David, announced that it would launch a general strike in response to the crisis. The Histadrut represents more than 700,000 workers in numerous sectors from banks to transportation to health workers, and its decision could paralyse large parts of Israel’s economy. Bar-David said he made the decision to steer Israel away from “an abyss”.
The crisis over Netanyahu’s plan to modify the judiciary’s powers has been ongoing for months, with mass protests and widespread concern among Israelis. The firing of Gallant has only served to deepen the crisis, and the protests show no signs of abating. The situation is causing alarm among business leaders and former security chiefs, as well as drawing concern from the United States and other close allies. It remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved, but it is clear that Netanyahu’s plan has caused a significant rift in Israeli society.