Posted on 03/27/23
| News Source: JPost
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to postpone the judicial reform legislation to the summer, Otzma Yehudit announced in a statement released on Monday.
The government will approve at its next meeting a decision to form a National Guard and subjugate it to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in exchange for Ben-Gvir's party, Otzma Yehudit, promising not to leave the government over Netanyahu's intention to postpone the legislation of the first judicial reform bill.
"The reform will pass," tweeted Ben-Gvir on Monday night. "The National Guard will be established. The budget I requested for the National Security Ministry will be passed in its entirety."
Ben-Gvir on Monday reportedly threatened to quit the government if Netanyahu decided to freeze the legislation until after the Knesset recess between April 2-30. The coalition announced last week that the first bill, that would give the coalition a majority in Israel's Judicial Appointments Committee, would pass before the Knesset recesses.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin said on Monday that he would respect a decision by Netanyahu to freeze legislation of the government's bill proposal to alter the makeup of Israel's Judicial Appointments Committee.
"As a member of the Likud, I respect any decision Prime Minister Netanyahu makes regarding the legal processes of the judicial reform. This, out of the knowledge that a situation in which everyone does as they wish can bring to the government falling and the Likud's collapse," Levin said in a statement.
"We must all make an effort in order to stabilize the government and coalition. We all have the duty not to make the mistake that was made at the time when the Shamir government was toppled, a mistake that brought the disaster of the Oslo Accords," the justice minister said.
Ahead of his announcement about the judicial reform, Netanyahu demanded that Yoav Gallant resign from Knesset in order to be reinstated as defense minister, according to KAN.
Israeli media reported on Monday that Finance Minster Bezalel Smotrich would likely also support Netanyahu's decision to pause legislation. However, on Monday afternoon, Smortich called his supporters to action in a statement on Monday, in which he said:
"Friends, under no circumstances should we stop the judicial reform [which will] strengthen Israeli democracy. We are the majority, We must not give into violence, anarchy...and wild strikes. Let's make our voice heard."
He concluded his statement with a call to action: "Let's meet tonight at 6 p.m. tonight, in Jerusalem, in front of the Knesset. I'll be there...We can't let them steal our voice and our country!"