Israel: Netanyahu announces delay to judicial reform plan

Netanyahu said on Monday he would delay his flagship judicial changes to the next parliamentary session, saying he wanted to give time to seek a compromise over the contentious package with his political opponents.

The decision to delay only postpones the issue for several weeks, and it is not clear if the protests will end.

Police numbers were reinforced to handle possible trouble after fears of violence were fuelled by social media posts calling for attacks on leftwing Israelis. In a tweet, Netanyahu appealed to supporters on both sides to avoid violence.

If the plans for the judiciary go ahead in their current form after the Knesset break, Israel is still likely to face a constitutional crisis in which the supreme court could strike down the legislation, and the coalition could choose not to comply.

The prime minister, taken aback by the scale of the protests, has reportedly been seeking to negotiate with the opposition for several weeks, but has been fearful of antagonising his far-right coalition partners and losing his parliamentary majority.

After five elections since 2019 in which voters were split over whether the scandal-plagued Netanyahu was fit to lead the country, a bloc of extremist and religious parties headed by the Likud won elections last November, going on to form the most rightwing administration in Israeli history.

If the judicial overhaul is abandoned and the government collapses, Israel could once again be headed for elections.