Netanyahu fired the defense minister after he called for the reform to be suspended

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday March 26, 24 hours after the latter made the call. Judicial reform process should be put on hold for a month A controversy favored by the government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to remove Defense Minister Yoav Gallant from his post, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered again on Kaplan Street in central Tel Aviv on Sunday evening against the reform. A police report said that some had burnt the tyres.

Other spontaneous rallies were held in front of the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem and in other cities in the country such as Haifa (north) and Be’er Sheva (south), according to local media.

The reform aims to increase the power of elected officials over judges. According to its opponents, this undermines the democratic nature of the State of Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies consider it necessary to restore a balanced balance of power between elected officials and the Supreme Court, which they have politicized.

Resignation of the Israeli Embassy in New York

Shortly after Yoav Galant was fired, Israel’s ambassador in New York announced his resignation.

“I cannot continue to represent the government,” Asaf Zameer wrote on Twitter. “I consider it my duty to ensure that Israel is a model for democracy and freedom throughout the world.”

In a speech on Saturday evening, Yoav Galand, of Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, said he feared continued divisions over the issue would “create a real threat to Israel’s security.” “.

“The defense of Israel has always been and always will be my life’s work,” he said in response to his dismissal on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, he called for a month-long “suspension of the legislative process”, ahead of a critical week that is expected to see more laws and more mass protests.

“I am aligned with Likud (…) values, but major changes at the national level must be made through consultation and dialogue,” the minister added.

Yoav Gallant called for an end to the demonstrations at the same time as Israeli media estimated that some 200,000 people gathered against the reform in Tel Aviv.

Demonstrations have continued every week since the January inauguration of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the most right-wing in Israel’s history.A reform plan that will divide the country.

‘Israel’s defense lacks courage’

“Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he can’t shoot reality, he can’t fire the people of Israel who oppose the coalition’s insanity,” tweeted opposition leader Yair.

“Israel’s prime minister is a threat to Israel’s security,” he wrote.

On Saturday evening, he welcomed Yoav Gallant’s words, describing them as “no bold (…) for Israel’s defense”.

Both Likud lawmakers expressed their support for Yoav Gallant on Twitter on Saturday, raising questions about whether the government could be trusted with a majority if it proceeded to a referendum.

Israel’s key allies, including Washington, have questioned plans to give more power to politicians and reduce the role of the Supreme Court.

On Sunday, the US said it was “deeply concerned” about the situation in Israel. “[Ces] The events underscore once again the urgent need for reconciliation,” White House National Security Council spokesman Adrian Watson said in a statement. “Democratic values ​​have always been, and must remain, a hallmark of US-Israeli relations.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who welcomed Benjamin Netanyahu in London on Friday, underlined “the importance of respecting the democratic values ​​that underpin the relationship between the two countries, including the judicial reform program in Israel.” A spokesman for Downing Street.

“Finishing the Division”

Israeli lawmakers are expected to vote in the coming days on one of the reform’s central elements, a change in the procedure for appointing judges that has been at the heart of its opponents’ concerns.

In a televised speech Thursday evening, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has so far taken a backseat on the issue, pledged to “end the divide among the people” while underlining his determination to move forward with reform.

The next day, he was called to order by the courts, which deemed his public intervention “illegal”, given his ongoing investigations into corruption.

And on Sunday, the Supreme Court gave the prime minister a week to respond to an NGO petition seeking punishment for “contempt of court” after the speech.

Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused in a series of corruption cases, has violated a court agreement that says the impeached prime minister has no right to operate in an area that could put him in a position, according to a petition by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, seen by AFP. According to the 2020 Supreme Court decision, conflict of interest.

With AFP