Winners, losers emerge after Israel’s Netanyahu suspends judicial overhaul
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the ultra-Orthodox parties and even the IDF are on the side of the losers now that the judicial overhaul has been postponed.
JERUSALEM — Israel’s President Isaac Herzog invited representatives of the government coalition and the two main opposition parties for consultations Tuesday evening to explore possible compromises after the government suspended its proposed judicial overhaul plan.
The controversial changes, which have been denounced by opponents as a "coup," would give the Israeli Knesset (and thus the leading parties in the coalition) more power over the country's judiciary.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced Monday night he was halting the legislation process of the judicial overhaul until summer in an effort to reach a large national agreement, opening the way for the president to reopen a dialogue. The decision to pause the overhaul came following massive protests and labor strikes that threatened to paralyze the country's economy.
Monday was certainly one of the most contentious and turbulent days that Israeli society has seen since the anti-government protests erupted weeks ago. The decision by Netanyahu to pause the overhaul brought some calm, but it is clear to everyone that the lull is temporary.
