Jerusalem:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition was plunged into chaos last night, after mass protests over the sacking of his defence chief piled pressure on the government to halt its bitterly contested plans to overhaul the judiciary.
Netanyahu had been expected to make a televised address announcing the suspension of the plans. But, amid reports that his nationalist-religious coalition risked breaking apart, Israeli media said the statement was postponed.
Tens of thousands of Israelis had earlier poured into the streets of cities across the country in a spontaneous outburst of anger after the prime minister fired his defence minister for challenging the judicial overhaul plan.
The unrest deepened a monthslong crisis over 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.