Protest leader vows action will continue after judicial reforms delayed – live

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu paused his signature plan to overhaul Israel’s judiciary after a day of nationwide turmoil when workers joined a general strike against the proposal and hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets.

The plans by his nationalist religious coalition to hand control over judicial appointments to the executive while giving parliament the power to overturn Supreme Court rulings has ignited one of the biggest internal crises in Israeli history.

Announcing his decision late on Monday to suspend the plans until parliament returns after the break for the Passover holiday and Independence Day next month, Mr Netanyahu said the crisis required all sides to act responsibly.

“Israeli society is on a dangerous collision course. We are in the midst of a crisis that is endangering the basic unity between us,” he said in a prime time television address.

The US welcomes the decision on Monday by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay a decision on plans for a judicial overhaul until next month, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The administration is urging Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible, Ms Jean-Pierre said.

“We welcome this announcement as an opportunity to create additional time and space for compromise,” she said. “A compromise is precisely what we have been calling for.”

“Democratic societies are strengthened by checks and balances, and fundamental changes to a democratic system should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support,” she added.

Israel’s president Isaac Herzog has urged prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition party leaders to start an “immediate negotiation process” on judicial reform after Mr Netanyahu delayed his plans to hand the government greater power over the courts, The Times of Israel reports this morning.

In calls with Mr Yetanyahu and Yair Lapid, chair of main opposition party Yesh Atid, and Benny Gantz, Blue and White coalition leader, the president requested each side set up negotiation teams so talks could begin quickly.

Mr Gantz soon after announced that he had asked Knesset members Gideon Sa’ar, Chili Tropper, Orit Farkash-Hacohen, and Ronen Aviani, a lawyer, with leading the talks on behalf of his party, The Times reported.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul has unleashed the most intense social unrest in Israel in decades.

Tens of thousands of people have repeatedly taken to the streets against the plan – including spontaneous mass demonstrations that erupted across the country late on Sunday after he fired his defence minister for questioning the overhaul.

Here is a look at how Israel has been plunged into its most serious domestic crisis in decades.

Britain has welcomed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s delay to his judicial overhaul that has sparked mass protests.
Foreign secretary James Cleverly urged him to seek a “long-term compromise” with his critics over the widely-criticised plan.

Mr Netanyahu announced the delay to the proposals from Israel’s most right-wing government in history by saying he wanted to “avoid civil war through dialogue”.

His proposed legislation would have protected him from being deemed unfit to rule, which critics say will shield Mr Netanyahu from his corruption trial.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak stressed the importance of upholding “democratic values” to Mr Netanyahu as they met in Downing Street last week.

On Monday Mr Cleverly said: “The UK welcomes the decision today by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause legislation to reform Israel’s judiciary.

“The UK enjoys a deep and historic relationship with Israel. As the prime minister stressed in his meeting with PM Netanyahu last week, it is vital that the shared democratic values that underpin that relationship are upheld, and a robust system of checks and balances are preserved.

“We urge all parties to find common ground and seek a long-term compromise to this sensitive issue.”

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Israel in a unified show of strength in protest against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Since the start of 2023, weekly protests have been held in opposition to Mr Netanyahu’s controversial plans to overhaul the judiciary.

Protesters have called on the reforms to be scrapped and for the prime minister to resign. On Sunday, however, Mr Netanyahu fired his defence minister after the former army general echoed the protesters’ calls to bring proposed reforms to a halt, prompting international concern.

But how does this affect travel to Israel? Here’s everything you need to know.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday that Israel remains one of the 121 nations invited to participate in the summit, which will take place virtually and be hosted by the White House on Wednesday.

My colleague Andrew Feinberg reports:

The ‘reforms’ proposed by the hard-right coalition strike at the independence of the judiciary – and take away legal checks and balances on political actions, writes our world affairs editor Kim Sengupta.

History shows that while popular demonstrations can affect change, there is often a backlash, writes ^{Noah Berlatsky.}