Israeli crisis continues as fired minister apparently refuses to quit

Israeli politics has descended into disarray with questions over whether a fired defence minister is refusing to step down and concerns Benjamin Netanyahu may have promised too much to far-right politicians in exchange for a deal aimed at quelling nationwide demonstrations.

Facing a climax in the 12-week protest movement against his plans to weaken the power of the courts, the prime minister on Monday evening announced a delay to the proposals, saying he wanted time to seek a compromise with political opponents.

The crisis had at the weekend turned into near-chaos when Netanyahu dismissed his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, after he broke ranks by openly calling for a halt to the overhaul.

Meanwhile, protest organisers have promised to continue to rally, accusing the prime minister of deception. Adding to their anxiety and that of the opposition, the ruling coalition on Tuesday tabled a final reading of a bill that would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges he denies, greater control of the system for selecting judges.

Reuters contributed to this report