Chaos reigned in Israel on Monday – in the country, but also in the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. After three months in office and under the pressure of massive resistance to the controversial judicial reform, conflicts emerged in the religious-right-wing nationalist coalition over the right course of action. Some coalition members wanted to stick to the previous plan for reform, which would curtail the influence of the Supreme Court and strengthen the executive branch. Others seemed willing to give in to pressure from the street for the time being – now including Netanyahu himself.

Christian Meier

Political correspondent for the Middle East and North East Africa.

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The Prime Minister had announced a statement for the morning. However, it was postponed without giving reasons. Behind the scenes, there was a fierce struggle for the further course. Above all, the Minister of National Security and leader of the ultra-right party "Jewish Strength", Itamar Ben-Gvir, called for the reform to be pushed forward. On Twitter, he wrote that one should not "capitulate to anarchy." Ben-Gvir is said to have been loud in Netanyahu's office, and it was also said that he had threatened to resign. In the early evening, an agreement was finally announced: Ben-Gvir's party announced that it supported a postponement of the reform by a few months. In return, the cabinet will decide to establish a national guard headed by Ben-Gvir. Netanyahu had promised this in writing.

The other cabinet members had already shown themselves open before Ben-Gvir and without such a quid pro quo to freeze the legislative process. Some also spoke publicly: Economy Minister Nir Barkat called on the other ministers in the morning to "rally behind the prime minister and support him in stopping the legislation". The right-wing coalition must not bring about its own overthrow, warned Barkat, a Likud heavyweight. "Our strength is our unity."

The agreement, however, was already broken at the weekend. On Saturday evening, in the person of Defence Minister Joav Gallant, for the first time a member of the government took a public stand against the speed with which the government is trying to push through the reform, despite the increasing protests. In a televised address, the Likud politician and former deputy chief of staff warned that the growing protests against the reform were weakening the military.

More and more reservists have announced in recent weeks that they will refuse to serve if the reform package is implemented. And many apparently did not show up for military exercises. Army chief Herzi Halevi wrote in a letter to all reservists on Monday that the right place to protest was the public, not the military. "Our enemies must know that we are keeping watch and that no one is deserting," Halevi wrote.