[WonderMomma]

Creating a new "mega" thread for the events currently unfolding in Israel.

Israel defence minister fired in legal reform row
26 March 2023 | 20:00 ET

Israeli's defence minister has been sacked after he spoke out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned Yoav Gallant to a meeting and told him he no longer had faith in him as defence minister.

The plan to limit the powers of the judiciary led to months of protests.

Tens of thousands of protestors returned to the streets on Sunday night following Mr Gallant's dismissal.

In Jerusalem, police and soldiers used water cannon against demonstrators near Mr Netanyahu's house.

The leaders of the protest accuse Mr Netanyahu of behaving like a dictator and destroying the security of Israel.

The new law makes it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office, which has angered many who consider it in the interests of the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption.

The leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid, described Mr Gallant's sacking as a new low for the government, while Mr Gallant himself has described the planned legislation as an "immediate and tangible danger" to state security.

In a brief televised statement on Saturday night, Mr Gallant said members of the Israeli Defence Forces were angry and disappointed, with an intensity he had never seen before.

Shortly after his dismissal a day later, Mr Gallant wrote on Twitter: "The state of Israel's security has always been and will always be my life's mission."

The defence minister had won the backing of some fellow members of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party, but others on the far right had called for him to go.

The law is part of the right-wing coalition government's contentious plan to limit the powers of the judiciary.

The reforms include plans that would give the government full control over the committee which appoints judges, which he has said will pass in the Knesset next week.

Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supported Mr Netanyahu's move, saying,"The prime minister decided on the necessary step and I congratulate him for that."

It includes enabling parliament to overrule decisions made by the Supreme Court - a move that critics say will undermine the independence of the judiciary and could be used for political ends.

But Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the public at the last election.

Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid described Mr Gallant's sacking as "a new low" for the government.

"Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he can't fire reality or fire the people of Israel who are fronting up to resist the coalition's madness," Mr Lapid added.

Former defence minister Benny Gantz praised Mr Gallant, who he said had put the security of the country above all interests.





PROTESTS:

Mass Israel protests after Netanyahu fires defence minister
26 March 2023 | 20:45 ET

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets across Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defence minister.

Yoav Gallant had spoken out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system.

In Jerusalem, police and soldiers used water cannon against demonstrators near Mr Netanyahu's house.

A week of disruption had already been planned over the new law.

The reforms include plans that would give the government full control over the committee which appoints judges.

They would also make it harder for courts to remove a leader deemed unfit for office, which has angered many who consider it in the interests of the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ongoing trial for corruption.

Israel's PM vows to continue with legal reforms
After protesting outside Mr Netanyahu's home, the demonstrators - many flying Israeli flags and banging pots and pans - then evaded police forces to arrive at Israel's parliament, the Knesset.

One government employee told the BBC that she felt Mr Netanyahu "crossed every line we have as a democratic country".

"We're defending the last bit of democracy we have and I can't go to sleep this way. I can't do anything until we stop this craziness", she said.

Mr Gallant is a former soldier, who for weeks has heard from reservists who were unhappy with the proposed law change.

In early March, fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron vowed not to attend training, in an unprecedented protest against the government.

They later agreed to attend and hold talks with their commanders.

Mr Gallant spoke out against the law on Saturday, where he said members of the Israeli Defence Forces were angry and disappointed.

Mr Netanyahu - who was out of the country at the time of Mr Gallant's TV appearance - said he no longer had faith in him as defence minister.

The prime minister wants to get the new legislation through parliament by the end of the week.

The two politicians are a member of the same Likud party and while the defence minister won the backing of some fellow members, others on the far right called for him to go.

After he was fired, Mr Gallant took to Twitter to reaffirm: "The state of Israel's security has always been and will always be my life's mission."

Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid described Mr Gallant's sacking as "a new low" for the government.

"Netanyahu can fire Gallant, but he can't fire reality or fire the people of Israel who are fronting up to resist the coalition's madness," Mr Lapid added.




Video 1: Outside Netanyahu's home
Video 2-3: Tel Aviv as of 17:30 ET

[WonderMomma]

"Former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff, Yair Golan, who is a member of Leftist/Labor Zionist "Meretz Party", calls on "all representatives of Israel in embassies spread across the globe to resign immediately", and "not serve under an illegitimate government"



"The Consul General for the State of Israel in New York, Asaf Zamir, resigned in protest against the Prime-Minister Benjamin Netanyahu"




Video 1: "According to Channel 12, More than 600,000 Israelis are demonstrating across Israel at the moment."

[WonderMomma]

"Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has stated that “Israel is in the Gravest Danger since the Six-Day War in 1967.”"

[kellyhound]

Israel PM relented as civil unrest at new heights, with work stoppages hitting hospitals, airports and schools.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he was delaying his government’s campaign to exert greater control over the judiciary, backing off in the face of furious public protest that has plunged Israel into one of the deepest crises in its history.

By backing down, Netanyahu may be able to restore calm to the streets, but he now risks destabilising the political coalition that he laboured to assemble, finally forming a government in December. Many of his hard-right government partners had dug in their heels at any suggestion of a delayed vote.

Even as he relented on the timing, Mr Ben-Gvir made it clear that he was not giving it up. “The reform will pass,” he said, “no one will scare us”.

The Israeli opposition parties appeared to be split over Netanyahu’s offer of dialogue. While Yair Lapid, a former prime minister and the centrist leader of the opposition, welcomed it, if warily, Merav Michaeli, the head of the centre-left Labour party, rejected it.

“How many more times can we fall into the trap of cooperating with Netanyahu?” Ms Michaeli said, accusing him of “buying time at the expense of our democracy”.

The protesters, too, seemed unpersuaded.

“So long as the legislation continues and has not been shelved, we will be in the streets,” an informal protest body known simply as “the struggle HQ” said in a statement. “This is another attempt to weaken the protest.”

Still, after the Netanyahu announcement, the head of Israel’s main labour union called off a general strike planned for Tuesday.

[JoeMG]