Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was set to announce the suspension of the judicial reform on Monday morning at about 10:00 a.m. but delayed the step after National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to dissolve the government. Prior to delivering the announcement, Netanyahu met with the heads of the coalition parties, and according to a Kan News report, the meeting reached high volumes several times. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Religious Zionist party chairman Betzalel Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded that the reform not be suspended. Ben-Gvir angrily confronted Netanyahu, screaming: “What is this? We can’t fold like this! Suspending the reform will lead to the dissolution of the government.” Later on Monday, Kan reported that after further discussion, Smotrich and Levin agreed to allow the legislation to be halted temporarily but Ben-Gvir continued to refuse and threatened the end of the government. The prime minister held an emergency meeting overnight after mass protests swept the country in the wake of the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Justice Minister Yariv Levin is opposed to halting the reform but a number of Likud ministers support the move as well as UTJ and Shas. The chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution Committee Simcha Rothman received the message amid a deliberation to approve the law on the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee in its second and third readings. “It’s over,” Rothman said and angrily left the meeting. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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