Israeli trade union Histadrut ends strikes after Netanyahu pauses judicial overhaul legislation

After weeks of massive protests against Israel’s judicial overhaul plans, the contentious legislation is now agreed upon to be put on hold until the next session of the Knesset, media reports said Monday evening.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a state televised address made the announcement for the same."Out of a sense of national responsibility, out of a will to prevent a rupture among our people, I have decided to pause the second and third readings of the bill," he said.

Following this, Israel's top trade union chief Arnon Bar-David called off strikes."Following the prime minister's announcement I declare the end of the strike," Bar-David, chairman of the Histadrut trade union confederation, said in a statement.

“I agreed to remove the veto to reject the legislation in exchange for a commitment by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the legislation would be submitted to the Knesset for approval in the next session,” Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a statement, as per reports.

This comes after Israel fired Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, for refusing to side with the government's plans to overhaul the judicial system. That had sparked further demonstrations in the country which has been witnessing incessant protests for weeks on now.

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While confirming the hold on the legislation, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power Party said in a statement that it will now be taken up after the Passover recess in April.Gvir said that the judicial reform legislation will still be put to a vote during the summer session of parliament.

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He added that he had "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's commitment that the legislation will be brought to the Knesset for approval in the next session if no agreements are reached during the recess.”

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It should be noted that the Knesset’s summer sitting runs April 30 to July 30.

Critics of the proposed judicial overhaul argue that it would undermine the independence of the judiciary and politicize the appointment process, potentially leading to the appointment of judges who are more aligned with the government's political agenda.

The proposal has been met with widespread opposition from various groups, including the Israel Bar Association and opposition politicians. The controversy has sparked public protests and drawn international attention.

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