When Benjamin Netanyahu began his current term as Israel’s prime minister last December, he identified four main goals for the country’s 37th government: block Iran; restore Israel’s security and administration; Tackling the problem of cost of living; and expand the “circle of peace” (with the Arabs). But over the past four months, his government’s single-minded focus has been on getting its judicial reform bills passed in the Knesset, triggering unprecedented protests, Initially, Mr Netanyahu, whose coalition has a substantial (by Israeli standards) majority in parliament, vowed to press ahead. As opposition grew, a rebellion broke out. He fired his Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, after he called for a delay in passing the bills citing national security risks, but the crisis was already out of his hands. On Monday, amid protests and a paralyzing general strike, the prime minister announced a suspension of the bills, not wanting to push Israel into civil war. Earlier, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Minister of National Security, warned the prime minister against “surrendering to the anarchists” and threatened to leave the coalition if he did so. But Mr. Netanyahu has managed to keep his coalition together for the time being. To ensure the support of Jewish extremist Mr. Ben-Gvir, the cabinet will transfer the National Guard to his ministry.
Netanyahu, who first came to power in 1996 by defeating Shimon Peres, has seen many ups and downs. Still, the current crisis is arguably their toughest. Mr. Netanyahu has witnessed a dramatic shift in Israeli politics to the far right. The result: the current government, which includes right-wing (Likud), religious (Shas and United Torah Judaism) and far-right (Religious Zionists and Otzma Yehudit) parties. Extremists have long argued that judicial checks and balances are preventing the country from realizing its true Jewish identity; Planned judicial reforms, which would give parliament control over judicial appointments and powers to overturn Supreme Court decisions, are a part of this push. Mr. Netanyahu and his allies have been able to control the narrative in terms of annexing Palestine or countering external threats, but their moves to consolidate more power have triggered widespread resistance from various quarters, including the defense establishment. By suspending the bills, Mr. Netanyahu has only delayed, and not resolved, the effects of the crisis. He has promised to return the bills to the Knesset after a month of unanimous consent. But it is not clear how there will be a nationwide consensus on such a polarizing issue, which has seen even diplomats on strike. Rather, he should convince his allies of his government’s crisis, abandon plans to completely undermine the judiciary, and focus on the more pressing challenges that Israel faces.
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