Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is in retreat. The Prime Minister announced this morning the suspension of the reform of the judicial system, a day after the dismissal of Defence Minister, Yoav Galand, for opposing it.

The announcement was made at 11:00 (local and Greek time) according to the Jerusalem Post. Earlier, a source from Netanyahu’s Likud party had also indicated to Reuters that it is possible that the Israeli Prime Minister will suspend the bill that has caused an uproar in the country.

Earlier today, Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, called on the government to halt the highly controversial reform of the judicial system it is promoting. For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of responsibility, call on the government to immediately stop the legislative process, Isaac Herzog said on Twitter.

At the same time, Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, whose party “Religious Zionism” participates in the government coalition, estimated that the government should proceed with the reform of the judicial system. Ben Gvir stressed that they should not back down in the face of anarchy, after the mass gatherings that took place.

Yesterday, Sunday, Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defence Minister, Yoav Gallad, who had recently come out against the highly controversial plan to overhaul Israel’s judicial system.

Yoav Gallad has called for a one-month pause in the judicial reform process, stressing that he fears that continued discord among citizens on this issue will pose a real threat to Israel’s security. He also called for an end to the protests and stressed that major changes at the national level must be made through consultation and dialogue. Shortly after his dismissal, Gallant, 64, tweeted that Israel’s security situation has always been and always will be his life’s mission.

Also read: Israel | Μeeting of Foreign Ministers of the countries that signed the “Abraham Accords”

Thousands of protesters on the street – The army is on alert

As a result, thousands of Israelis took to the streets at night to protest Gallant’s dismissal. A crowd of people blocked Tel Aviv’s main highway, while a group of protesters lit a fire in the middle of the highway. Police arrested protesters in front of Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem. The Israeli Prime Minister and his family were taken to the Shin Bet headquarters in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military announced today that it was on high alert following the loss of control inside the country following the protests. The Israeli Police Chief stressed that the police allow the democratic right to protest, but will not allow public disturbances and damage to government symbols.

The US presidency emphasized yesterday Sunday (26/3) that it is “deeply concerned” about the situation in Israel, after the Defence Minister was removed for calling for a halt to the justice reform plan, and called on the parties to seek a compromise.

With information from: CNN Greece

Also read: Middle East Issue | 40 countries request the lifting of Israeli sanctions against the Palestinian Authority