A powerful partner in the government of Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
said Monday that the judicial reform being carried out by the Executive was delayed for at least several weeks.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says he has agreed to delay the legislation until parliament meets for its summer session on April 30.
There was no immediate confirmation from Netanyahu.
If confirmed, the measure comes amid a massive wave of protests and a national strike, which had left several flights stranded at Ben Gurion airport on Monday.
Prime Minister Netanyahu in Parliament this Monday.
Photo: AP
In a statement, Ben-Gvir said the interim period would give time to
reach a compromise deal with the political opposition.
But he said that if no agreement is reached, the package would be approved in the summer session.
Ben-Gvir has been
a leading proponent of reform
, and his statement could pave the way for Netanyahu to announce a delay.
Demonstrations and national strike
Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied outside parliament and workers launched a nationwide strike on Monday in
a dramatic escalation
of the mass protest movement
aimed at halting
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the judicial system.
Demonstrations for and against the government.
Photo: Reuters
The chaos shut down much of the country and threatened to cripple the economy.
Flights leaving the main international airport
were grounded
.
Large chain shopping malls and universities
closed their doors
, and Israel's largest union asked its 800,000 members to stop working in the health, transit, banking and other sectors.
Diplomats walked off the job at foreign missions and local governments were expected to close preschools and cut other services.
The main union of doctors announced that its members would also go on strike.
The growing resistance to Netanyahu's plan came hours after tens of thousands of people took to the streets across the country in a spontaneous show of anger over the prime minister's decision to fire his defense minister after he called for a pause in reform.
Chanting
“the country is on fire”,
they lit bonfires on Tel Aviv's main road, shutting down the road and many others across the country for hours.
Associated Press
ap
look too
Israel seethes: Netanyahu fired a minister who opposed judicial reform
Judicial reform in Israel: accused of several charges of corruption, Netanyahu shields himself with a new law