SNAPSHOTS

Amid Protests, Israel's Government Pauses Its Judicial Reforms. What Now?

Mar 27, 2023 | 21:28 GMT

A mounted policeman stands guard during a March 27, 2023, protest in Tel Aviv, Israel.

A mounted policeman stands guard during a March 27, 2023, protest in Tel Aviv, Israel.

(GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Israeli government's pause in its controversial judicial reforms will delay their enactment, but more unrest and protests are likely as negotiations continue. Israel's security services, meanwhile, will push back on a proposal for a new national guard, further sowing distrust between the country's government and the security establishment, while portending more strikes from soldiers. As hundreds of thousands protested in the streets of Israel and around the Knesset, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on March 27 that he would pause his government's controversial judicial reforms until at least May to allow for a dialogue over their final form. The far-right Religious Zionism party -- a key partner in Netanyahu's coalition government that strongly backs the reforms -- initially opposed the pause. But the party accepted the move after Netanyahu promised to expand National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's powers with a new "national guard" that would be placed...

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