Political pressure growing on Netanyahu to pause judicial overhaul

Top lawmakers from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party have backed the regime's Minister of War Yoav Gallant’s call to halt the controversial judicial overhaul, fearing that the parliamentary majority could be eroded.

On Sunday, Yuli Edelstein, a Likud lawmaker who chairs the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs Committee, called on the cabinet to slow down the legislative push to enable discussion and revisions.

“We don't want to bury the reforms, but bringing it to a vote before it is clear that there is support for it would be adventurism that is best avoided,” Edelstein said.

On Saturday, Gallant called on the regime's far-right cabinet to halt the legislation for several weeks, saying the bitter dispute it has caused is posing a threat to the occupying regime itself.

Gallant said Netanyahu needs to hold talks with the opposition and asked it to wait until after the Jewish Passover holiday, which begins on April 5, before pushing ahead with the judicial changes.

His statement indicated the first crack in Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing cabinet in Occupied Palestine. A stance that received public support from two other Likud politicians and the reported backing of a third, while others in the party castigated him and National Security Minister, Ben Gvir, demanded that he be fired.

Gallant's statement was welcomed by senior Likud lawmaker David Bitan and also a junior Likud lawmaker, Eli Dalal, who spoke last week in favor of suspending the legislation. But it was not clear if they or others in Likud might abstain in a ratification vote.

“As I already said several weeks ago, the legislation should be stopped and immediate negotiations should be started and broad agreements should be reached. I back the words of my friend the defense minister,” Bitan said.

Earlier Saturday, it was reported that Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter spoke with Netanyahu and other Likud MKs, asking to stop the judicial overhaul bills until after April 26.

ME