Israel

28 Mar 2023; MEMO: Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed a reckoning over judicial reforms that plunged Israel into turmoil, but he remains caught between hard-right allies whose support he needs to stay on as Prime Minister and a tidal wave of opposition to their plans, Reuters reports.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Bending to a wave of mass protests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed his contentious judicial overhaul plan Monday and said he wanted “to avoid civil war” by making time to seek a compromise with political opponents.

The announcement appeared to calm some of the tensions that have fueled three tumultuous months of unrest. But it failed to address the underlying issues that have polarized the nation, and the anti-government protest movement vowed to intensify its efforts.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s rival political factions agreed to begin negotiations Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paused a controversial judicial overhaul plan that had triggered unprecedented street protests and a spiraling domestic crisis.

26 Mar 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today fired his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant after the latter criticised the planned judicial reforms, Netanyahu's office announced.

Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter is expected, Israeli media said, to replace Gallant, who is still a Knesset member.

Netanyahu said that he lost trust in Gallant after he "went behind the government's back," referring to his call to freeze the planned judicial overhaul.

27 Mar 2023; MEMO: A senior Israeli security official said on Sunday evening that the police have lost control of the demonstrations taking place in various parts of the country in protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's dismissal of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, local media have reported. Netanyahu sacked Gallant at the weekend following the latter's demand for the government to halt the controversial judicial reform law.

27 Mar 2023; MEMO: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has demanded that the government's judicial reform plan should be stopped immediately. Herzog's demand came in a written statement, a copy of which was obtained by Anadolu, after more huge protests across the country against the government's plans.

27 Mar 2023; MEMO: Israeli technology company CNG Labs was warned by the US on Friday when it was added to Washington's "red-flag" list. The list includes companies, organisations and individuals in foreign countries whose equipment cannot be entirely verified as being destined for legitimate customers to be used for legitimate purposes.

27 Mar 2023; MEMO: Israeli police have warned of the threat of violent clashes between protestors demonstrating against the judicial overhaul and supporters of the far-right government. Senior police sources told Haaretz that they fear "immediate escalation" after extreme right-wing activists announced that they will protest today at the Israeli Knesset (parliament).

27 Mar 2023; MEMO: Scores have taken to the streets of Israel, regardless of their political alignments, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, heading arguably the most far-right government in the country's history, seemingly backed down and halted on Monday the controversial judicial reform package, Anadolu News Agency reports.

27 Mar 2023; MEMO: Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition plunged into chaos on Monday, after mass overnight protests over the sacking of his Defence Chief piled pressure on the government to halt its bitterly contested plans to overhaul the judiciary, Reuters reports.