Netanyahu on the brink

Israel has been plunged into a yet deeper crisis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been ordered by Israel’s president to hold crunch talks with opposition leaders to find a solution to his controversial judicial reforms, the defence minister he fired refuses to quit, and Netanyahu is accused of promising one of his far-right partners his own militia. 

President Isaac Herzog’s demand for immediate negotiations came after Netanyahu was forced on Monday night to temporarily halt his government’s attempt to politicise the judiciary, a move which has unleashed the biggest protests in Israel’s history. 

The president also demanded the negotiation process between Netanyahu and opposition party leaders, Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, should take place under the auspices of his office.

Earlier in the day Netanyahu met with Yoav Gallant, his defence minister who he fired on Sunday but who has yet to leave office and who is said to be stubbornly resisting all attempts to be removed. Aides to Gallant say he is going nowhere.  

It was the firing of Gallant on Sunday which triggered the latest extraordinary wave of unrest, uniting disparate groups such as the unions, universities and, unusually, military reservists. 

Although protests over the legislation have been rumbling for months, it was Netanyahu’s dismissal of Gallant which provoked tens of thousands of Israelis taking to the streets, demonstrating outside the Knesset while workers launched a nationwide strike, closing down airports, seaports and schools, prompting fears that the dramatic escalation of protests could tip the country into civil strife.

Gallant had been saying privately for some time that the proposals which would give parliament the power to overrule the Supreme Court would cause trouble. But it was the defence minister’s temerity in going public, warning that even the military feared the reforms presented “a clear, immediate, and tangible threat to the security of the state”, which so enraged Netanyahu. 

Yet despite Netanyahu’s promise to pause the legislation until the end of April to find a “broad consensus”, those objecting to the bill do not believe him. They suspect the pause was announced only because he feared he would not achieve a majority to pass the legislation: he heads a 64-strong coalition in the 120-member Knesset.

They may be right: the coalition went ahead today to submit the controversial bill which would also give the government the power to appoint judges for its final votes. This was explained away as a “technical” matter only but unsurprisingly the PM has been accused of acting in bad faith. Netanyahu is also being criticised for promising his national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir of the far-right Jewish Power party, his own national guard or militia in return for supporting him while he sorts out the reforms. Ben-Gvir is the most ardent supporter of the new bill. 

Criticism of Netanhayu’s reforms are not confined to the opposition. The usually neutral Bank of Israel Governor, Amir Yaron, warned earlier today when presenting his 2022 annual report, of the potential economic danger posed by Netanyahu’s push to curb the justice system. Yaron said: “The existence of strong and independent bodies is vital for the stability and prosperity of the economy over time.” It’s not the first time Yaron has spoken out. In a recent CNN interview, he cautioned against the “hasty” overhaul, arguing that a peaceful solution was important if companies were to keep investing in Israel and for the country to keep its sovereign credit rating.  

Many foreign companies have already announced they will pull out or will not be investing, he said. This would be a major blow for Israel as it depends so heavily on US and other overseas investors for its economic well-being and military might. 

Fighting the Palestinians over land is one thing, as is Israel’s proxy war with Iran. Whether Netanyahu can survive Israeli fighting Israeli on the streets in the name of democracy is quite a different kettle of fish.  

Pressure on Netanyahu – who has held office six times and is the country’s longest serving PM – to quit is coming from many quarters. The latest call came from William Hague, former foreign secretary, who said on radio today, the time has come for Netanyahu to retire: “He is one of those leaders who needs to know when to go away.”

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