Israel Crisis (Part 1): A comprehensive strikes overwhelming Israel and the Netanyahu government survives two no-confidence voting

The coalition government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu survived on Monday two motions of no-confidence submitted by the opposition in protest of the judicial amendments adopted by the government.

The Speaker of the Knesset announced that the first proposal was rejected by 59 votes in favor, in exchange for 53 votes in favor, while the second proposal was rejected by 60 votes in exchange for 51 votes in favor.

On Monday, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced the end of the meeting of the leaders of the ruling coalition, which took place in the wake of the state of instability in Israel to protest against the plan to weaken the judiciary.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Netanyahu is determined to stop the judicial amendments.

In the context, the Minister of National Security in the Israeli occupation government, Itamar Ben Gvir, threatened on Monday, to dissolve the government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu if Netanyahu stopped judicial legislation.

Ben Gvir stressed that reform of the judicial system must not stop, and we must not give in to chaos.

The Israeli Finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich gave Netanyahu the green light to stop the legislation temporarily, but Ben Gvir threatens to dissolve the government coalition.

The Israeli Walla website quoted Likud officials as saying that Justice Minister Yariv Levin is pressuring Finance Minister Smotrich and National Security Minister Ben Gvir to threaten Netanyahu with dissolving the government if he halts judicial legislation.

While the religious Zionist party said: It’s not permissible to stop legislation in any way, and that stopping it would be a surrender to violence and chaos.

It’s noteworthy that Israel is witnessing a state of instability after Netanyahu sacked the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, followed by demonstrations and protests against Netanyahu’s decision and to demand his resignation.

Leaders of the protests against the Israeli government’s plan to weaken the judiciary announced Monday morning that the state will be paralyzed until the plan’s legislation is halted, and called for a demonstration outside the Knesset building.

This comes the day after a tumultuous night that followed Netanyahu’s announcement of the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during which demonstrators closed streets and central junctions, and confrontations took place between them and the police forces, who dispersed them by force.

The Medical Association in Israel announced on Monday, that until it halts legislation on the government’s plan to weaken the judiciary and dialogue with its opponents, a full strike in the health system will take place.

The strike includes all government hospitals and clinics, and a special committee will work to approve necessary treatments and services.

Ben Gurion Airport announced, no planes will take off from the airport.

Last night, Netanyahu held deliberations with the heads of the coalition parties, and the Shas party and the United Torah Judaism bloc, as well as ministers in the Likud, announced their support for suspending the judicial plan legislation.

The Religious Zionist Party, headed by Bezalel Smotrich, opposed a possible suspension of the legislation, while the head of the Otzma Yehudit party, Itamar Ben Gvir, called for a continuation of the vote on the legislation.

The protests widened in Israel, Monday, hours after the head of the Histadrut Federation of Trade Unions, Arnon Bar-David, threatened to announce a general strike to pressure the government to back down from the judicial reform bills, while voices began to rise in support of the government coalition.

Steps followed by announcing strikes, coinciding with the influx of thousands of demonstrators into the streets in the cities of West Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to dissuade the government from continuing to approve the judicial amendments.

According to the Israeli Maariv newspaper, the conference was postponed after the Minister of National Security threatened the leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, Itamar Ben Gvir, to withdraw from the government in the event of a retraction of judicial reforms.

Later, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation revealed that Ben Gvir had agreed with Netanyahu that he would resign from the government, but would continue to support it from outside the coalition, which means that it wouldn’t fall.

On Sunday evening, Netanyahu sacked Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a day after the latter called on the government to halt the judicial reform law, sparking a wave of nightly protests that continued until Monday morning.

In the context of the protests, the Medical Association in Israel announced the immediate suspension of health services until judicial reforms are frozen.

Earlier Monday, Federation of Trade Unions chairman Arnon Bar-David hinted that the historic general strike could begin today if Netanyahu doesn’t announce a halt to judicial reform.

Meanwhile, protesters returned to demonstrate in the streets of Tel Aviv and in front of the Knesset in Western Jerusalem, and thousands flocked to the trains heading to Jerusalem to participate in the scheduled demonstration in front of the Knesset.

Currently, the Israeli right-wing parties have officially refrained from asking his supporters to take to the streets in support of the government’s plans regarding the judiciary in the face of the massive protest demonstrations that have been organized by the opposition.

For nearly 12 weeks, tens of thousands of Israelis have been demonstrating daily against the judicial reform plan that the Netanyahu government intends to implement.

The plan includes amendments that limit the powers of the Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial authority in Israel and give the government control over the appointment of judges.