Skip to main content
Live blog update| Israeli judicial crisis

Coalition ministers and politicians backing freeze of judicial reforms

As anger has swept across Israel at the government's judicial reforms and much of the economy has been paralysed, a number of ministers and supporters of the government previously backing the reforms have started voicing their opposition to the measures:

  • Economy Minister Nir Barkat - a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party - has publicly called for his allies to "unite behind" Netanyahu and "support him in stopping the legislation", warning that they must "not bring about the overthrow of the right-wing government with our own hands".

  • Moshe Solomon, deputy speaker of the Knesset and MK with the far-right Religious Zionism party, said the legislation should be paused in the wake of military reservists joining the protests. "As a major general in the reserves, I cannot accept threats from within the military system," he tweeted. "The security of the country cannot be compromised by power struggles and political games. I am calling on Bezalel Smotrich, the party leader, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister. If only for a short time, I support a delay in the legislative process."

  • Ron Dermer, the minister of strategic affairs and a close ally of Netanyahu, also reportedly called for a halt in the legislation, according to Israeli media.

  • Miki Zohar, the culture and sports minister, announced on Sunday night that he would back a freeze in the legislation. "The reform of the judicial system is necessary and essential, but when a home is on fire, we don't ask who is right, but pour water and save its occupants," Zohar wrote. "If the prime minister decides to stop the legislation to [heal] the rift that has formed in the nation, we must support his position."

  • Amichai Chikli, the diaspora minister, announced that he was in favour of calls for dialogue by opposition politicians.