Netanyahu bid to curb Israeli Supreme Court powers sparks national outcry

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has personally pleaded with Netanyahu to halt the legislation, calling on "Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible. For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of responsibility, I am calling on you to stop legislation immediately."

The proposal has also prompted the resignation of Israel's Consul General to New York, Asaf Zamir, who has resigned in protest.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has sacked his defence minister Yoav Gallant after he called on Saturday for the government to pull the legislation, saying disputes over the measures are threatening Israel's security, with thousands of army reservists joining protests and refusing call-ups for training.

Legislation suspended

But with his government in danger of being completely overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the protests, Netanyahu has been reluctantly forced to suspend the proposed legislation.

Speaking in a nationally-televised address on Monday, the 73-year-old Israeli leader admitted that his proposed package of judicial reforms had split the country in two, and said he would delay the legislation until a new session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

"When there's an opportunity to avoid civil war through dialogue, I, as prime minister, am taking a timeout for dialogue," he said.

Given the strength of opposition to the reforms, though, it remains to be seen whether Netanyahu's offer to postpone the legislation will be sufficient to save his coalition government, or will see the politician known as the "magician" for his survival qualities eventually ousted from office.

At the heart of Netanyahu's current difficulties has been his decision to align himself with ultra-nationalist right-wing parties to form his administration after he emerged victorious in last year's Israeli general election.

Because of the complicated nature of Israel's political system, Israeli governments are always composed of coalitions. But by allying himself with several hardline factions, Netanyahu now finds himself working with political allies who want to weaken the Supreme Court so that they can expand Jewish settlements in occupied territory which the Palestinians seek for a state.

In addition Ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties in the coalition want to pass a law that exempts their community from service in the conscript military, a step they worry might be struck down by the highest court if its powers are not cut back.

Growing pressure

Pressure to reform the Supreme Court has been growing for several years over claims the bench is left-leaning and elitist and has become too interventionist in the political sphere, while often putting minority rights before national interests.

Netanyahu's critics say he has good reason to want to curb the authority of Israel's judicial system, given that he has spent much of the past few years under investigation over fraud allegations.

But in a country that has no written constitution and regards the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of its democratic process, any attempt to meddle in the institution's affairs is seen as an attack on Israel's fundamental democratic values.

After the tumult of recent days, Netanyahu will come under intense pressure to resolve the dispute in a manner that ends the bitter divisions his proposals have provoked.

The Israeli leader says he now intends to seek a "dialogue" with other leaders across the political divide to find a consensus on reforming the Supreme Court.  Whether he succeeds will ultimately decide whether or not he and his coalition allies can remain in office.