President Isaac Herzog asks Benjamin Netanyahu to “immediately stop” judicial reform in Israel

Israeli President Isaac Herzog appealed to the Prime Minister. Benjamin Netanyahu”act responsibly and courageously” and “immediately” stop the legislative process of the dispute judicial reform that divides the country.

“In the name of the unity of the people Israel, For the sake of necessary accountability, I ask you to stop the legislative process immediately,” Duke said in a statement amid the largest protests in his history and on the verge of a general strike.

Netanyahu fired his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last night after publicly calling for a cessation of hostilities. judicial reformthe first critical voice in government, sparking massive impromptu nationwide demonstrations of more than 600,000 people expected to repeat today.

“Last night we witnessed some very difficult scenes,” Herzog said of yesterday’s protests, in which protesters lit bonfires to block traffic on major Tel Aviv highways or tore down fences protecting the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem, where police used water cannons to disperse them.

The country’s top universities already went on an indefinite strike last night, the country’s main union is due to call a general strike, and a group of 23 mayors are set to go on a hunger strike today to protest against judicial reformwhich caused a wide public outcry in many sectors.

“I appeal to the Prime Minister, members of the government and the coalition: I have heavy and painful feelings. The whole nation is consumed by deep anxiety. Our security, our economy, our society, everything is at stake,” exclaimed the Duke. that two weeks ago he presented an alternative proposal for judicial reform that satisfies all parties, which was immediately rejected by the executive branch.

“Now is not the time for political games”

The president, who held numerous meetings with representatives of all sectors and politicians of all parties, then warned that the country was on the verge of a “civil war”.

“I call on the leaders of all factions in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), both coalition and opposition, to put citizens first and act boldly and responsibly without further delay,” the president added.

“Wake up now! Now is not the time for political games, this is the time for leadership and responsibility,” he urged.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a veteran of Netanyahu’s Likud party, was the first member of his government to express concern about the social impact of the reform, which he considered an “imminent threat to the country’s security”, after thousands of elite reservists refused to serve in the army to protest it. law.

Israel has been protesting for thirteen consecutive weeks since the new Netanyahu government announced its plan for judicial reform in early January – just six days after taking power – which, in essence, aims to reduce the independence of the judiciary and increase the government’s control over it. .

Its controversial measures include a “cancellation clause” whereby a parliamentary majority can overrule Supreme Court decisions; in addition to giving the government almost complete control over the election of judges and allowing political officials to serve as legal advisers to ministries.

For this reason, her detractors see the reform as a threat to Israeli democracy, violating the separation of powers; while its defenders believe that the Israeli Supreme Court interferes too much in politics and its power should be limited.

(As reported by EFE)