Israel PM announces suspension of judicial reforms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to suspend a planned judiciary reform until the next parliament session after nationwide protests. Netanyahu made the announcement after two days of large protests against the plan. In a televised address on Monday night, Israeli Prime Minister said, he wants to give himself and his political opponents time to seek a compromise over the contentious package. The prime minister said he was allowing for “a delay” to provide “ a real opportunity for real dialogue,” but stressed that “either way,” a reform would be passed to “restore the balance” that he said had been lost between the branches of government in Israel. He  indicated the “time out” would last until the beginning of the Knesset’s summer session, which starts April 30. 

Israeli president Isaac Herzog welcomed the pause and said it is time for frank, serious and responsible discussion that will lead urgently to calming the angers.Immediately after Netanyahu’s statement, the head of the country’s largest trade union said it would call off a general strike that threatened to grind Israel’s economy to a halt.

Meawhile, Poland’s deputy foreign minister Pawel Jablonski on Monday said Israel consulted with his country about overhauling the judicial system, following past Polish moves to curb the judiciary’s authority. Jablonski said any change to the courts is a domestic matter, noting the Knesset’s advancement of the judicial bills and resulting mass protests against the proposals. His remarks came a day after a constitutional scholar from Poland, which has undergone democratic backsliding in recent years, warned that Israel was facing the same dangers from the judicial overhaul being advanced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.