Jerusalem | Tens of thousands of Israelis poured into the streets of cities across the country on Sunday night (Monday AEDT) in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defence minister for challenging the Israeli leader’s judicial overhaul plan.
Protesters in Tel Aviv blocked a main highway and lit large bonfires, while police scuffled with protesters who gathered outside Mr Netanyahu’s private home in Jerusalem.
The unrest deepened a months-long crisis over Mr Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary, which has sparked mass protests, alarmed business leaders and former security chiefs and drawn concern from the United States and other close allies.
Mr Netanyahu’s dismissal of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant signalled that the prime minister and his allies will barrel ahead this week with the overhaul plan. Mr Gallant had been the first senior member of the ruling Likud party to speak out against it, saying the deep divisions were threatening to weaken the military.
But as droves of protesters flooded the streets late into the night, Likud ministers began indicating willingness to hit the brakes. Culture Minister Micky Zohar, a Netanyahu confidant, said the party would support him if he decided to pause the judicial overhaul.
Israeli media said leaders in Mr Netanyahu’s coalition were scheduled to meet on Monday morning local time. Later in the day, the grassroots protest movement said it would hold another mass demonstration outside the Knesset, or parliament, in Jerusalem.
In a brief statement, Mr Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister had dismissed Mr Gallant. Mr Netanyahu later tweeted: “We must all stand strong against refusal.”
Read the article by Ilan Ben Zion in the Financial Review.