Israel’s president Isaac Herzog has implored the government to halt a bitterly contested judicial overhaul, warning that the polarisation it had caused had put “our security, economy, society” under threat.
Huge protests erupted across Israel overnight with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his defence minister for urging a delay to the reform.
Further protests were planned for Monday, while the country’s largest trade union, Histadrut, said its 700,000 members would strike if the government did not immediately pause the overhaul.
In a brief statement on Monday morning, Herzog, whose powers are largely ceremonial, appealed to Netanyahu to back down, warning that the “entire nation is rapt with deep worry”.
“For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of the necessary responsibility, I call on you to halt the legislative process immediately,” he said.
“This is not a political moment; this is a moment for leadership and responsibility.”
Netanyahu’s government, widely regarded as the most rightwing in Israeli history, was deeply divided on how to respond to the mounting backlash.
A parliamentary committee controlled by one of the main architects of the overhaul convened on Monday to advance part of the legislation, while ultranationalist national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir insisted the overhaul had to continue, and that the government “must not surrender to anarchy”.
But other figures in the coalition, including three ministers, publicly called for a halt. “The reform is necessary and we will carry it out,” economy minister Nir Barkat said in a statement. “But not at the price of civil war.”
The fight over the proposals, which would significantly weaken the powers of the judiciary, has plunged Israel into an escalating political crisis, unsettling investors, alarming its allies and sparking the biggest wave of protests in more than a decade.
US president Joe Biden’s administration said on Sunday that it was “deeply concerned” by events and urged Israeli politicians to de-escalate the crisis.
“We continue to strongly urge Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible,” said Adrienne Watson, National Security Council spokesperson. “We believe that is the best path forward for Israel and all of its citizens.”
Protests flared across Israel on Sunday night after Netanyahu sacked defence minister Yoav Gallant, the most senior figure in his hardline government to come out against the overhaul, warning it was a threat to national security.
The firing sparked immediate outrage. A group of universities said they would go on strike from Monday, and Israel’s consul-general in New York resigned in protest. Announcing its plans to go on strike as well, Histadrut’s leader, Arnon Bar-David, said the country had “lost its way”.
“We can no longer polarise the nation,” he said. “Together we say, enough.”
Israeli media said the protests took place in more than 150 locations, with thousands blocking a main highway in Tel Aviv, and others clashing with police outside Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem.
The outpouring of anger followed three months of protests during which hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets, and increasing numbers of reservists have threatened not to report for training, sparking fears that the military’s capabilities were being undermined.
Hardliners in the coalition, however, welcomed Gallant’s departure. Ben-Gvir, who had called for Gallant to be dismissed after his statement on Saturday, congratulated Netanyahu.
Netanyahu said last week that the government would press ahead with the overhaul and bring the amendment that would give it greater control over judicial appointments to parliament for a final vote this week.
