Massive protest erupted in different cities of Israel on Sunday night after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed his defence minister Yoav Gallant for opposing a plan to change the judicial system. In Jerusalem, thousands of people gathered near Netanyahu’s house and then marched to the parliament. Police clashed with protesters and used water cannons to disperse them. In Tel Aviv, protesters blocked a major road.
The protests were fueled by Netanyahu’s proposal to restructure the judiciary, which has been criticized by many people, including business leaders, former security officials, and foreign allies such as the US and Germany. The proposal would give more power to the executive branch to appoint judges to the Supreme Court.
Netanyahu fired Gallant on Sunday night before he was about to approve a key part of the proposal, a bill that would tighten political control over judicial appointments. Gallant had warned on Saturday that the proposal posed “a clear, immediate and tangible threat to the security of the state” and urged Netanyahu to stop it.
“I am ready to take any risk and pay any price for our country at this time,” Gallant said in a televised speech.
Netanyahu decided to sack Gallant after he challenged Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary, which has sparked widespread protests and alarmed business leaders and former security chiefs, as well as allies such as the United States and Germany. The dismissal of Gallant signaled that Netanyahu and his allies would move ahead with the overhaul plan.