Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, is not the only one who has misgivings and concerns about the judicial reforms, but he is now the most prominent official advocating for caution and a pause in the new legislation.
Gallant has made a courageous move that might cost him his job but might also make him a candidate for the leadership role in the post-Netanyahu era.
Gallant’s proposal was uncomplicated and unambiguous: call a cabinet meeting to review the effects of the judicial reforms. Gallant would have sent the leaders of the Mossad and Shin Bet, as well as IDF Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi, to inform the cabinet of the security ramifications of a reform that would destabilize the military institution and put Israel at risk in a future battle.
The left and center will celebrate Gallant as the savior of Israel’s democracy after such terrible predictions, and many ministers will support his proposal for a legislative break.
Gallant addressed the political center during his Friday night speech: “We need a change in the legal system, but such changes are done through collaboration and discourse.
The State of Israel will lose if one of the parties succeeds. We need to organize a collaborative and unified procedure.
He declared that the legislative process ought to be suspended so that negotiations could occur for Israel’s security.
Most Israelis can relate to what Gallant said when he said that while the system may need to change, it cannot come at the expense of our security as a country facing existential threats and numerous enemies.
Gallant’s demand, in contrast, was viewed by Netanyahu as a fatal blow to the coalition’s concerted effort to approve the bill.
Gallant’s idea might create a permanent breach within the Likud because several ministers have subtly voiced similar sentiments, and Justice Minister Yariv Levin and others have threatened to quit if the reforms are not approved.
As a result, Netanyahu rejected Gallant’s request that the Cabinet meet to consider the legislation’s implications.
On Thursday night, he gave a speech in which he refused to halt the laws, signaling his support for Levin’s side.
Another step by Netanyahu was to dispel any potential cooperation between the two defense-oriented ministers by offering Avi Dichter the Defense Ministry if Gallant voted against legislative reforms.
Netanyahu’s unwillingness to call the Cabinet together at the request of a senior minister on such an important matter has been criticized by several government insiders as an unprecedented action.
According to one official, the decision was “madness,” and the entire government, through the cabinet, was also accountable in addition to the prime minister and the defense minister.
The purpose and effects of the processes the ministers direct must be understood.
Consider a scenario in which war breaks out and the IDF is ineffective, a different insider said. What will Netanyahu say to the post-conflict investigation commission? Who will speak for the cabinet? How will they be able to face the public and claim that they took all necessary precautions to prevent it?
The Law Committee voted on the bill about the Judicial Selections Committee on Sunday as part of the coalition’s continuous promotion of the legislation, but the Likud gap is still present and threatens the unity of the government.
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