Despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of a temporary freeze to reduce the powers of the Supreme Court, the angry protests continued, and the protest leaders announced that they would continue their activities against the judicial amendments until they were completely abolished, considering that the "suspension" was just a maneuver to gain time. They accused Netanyahu of maneuvering to delay the amendments in order to pass them later after weakening the popular pressure, stressing that they would not swallow the bait.
The wave of anger escalated, prompting Israeli President Isaac Herzog to host political parties for a dialogue to end their divisions over the judicial reform laws. Herzog's office did not specify a date for hosting this dialogue, in which all parties and blocs in the Knesset are expected to participate. Herzog made phone calls with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, opposition leader Yair Lapid and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, to launch a speedy dialogue process under his auspices on judicial reforms. Well-informed Israeli sources expected that the dialogue would start before the Jewish Passover holiday, which begins on the fifth of April and will last for a week. She said that the dialogue will be held at the president's residence, and parties, including Arab ones, will be invited to participate, hoping to reach an agreement.
For its part, Herzog's office said that the president had asked each side to form negotiating teams so that the talks could begin. Netanyahu announced in a televised speech on Monday evening that the Knesset's vote on legislation reforming the judiciary was suspended, to reach a broad agreement out of national responsibility and the desire to prevent a division. Nation. However, thousands of demonstrators continued to flock to the streets in Tel Aviv and other cities, stressing the necessity of canceling all legislation included in the controversial plan, and not merely freezing it temporarily.
Clashes broke out between the police and the demonstrators, who tried to reach and close Ayalon Street in Tel Aviv, according to the Haaretz newspaper, confirming that the police used means to disperse the demonstrators. Such as cavalry, waste water vehicles and stun grenades to prevent protesters from reaching the main street. Two Israeli policemen were injured after protesters threw bottles at them in Tel Aviv.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper revealed that the police arrested 33 demonstrators during the Tel Aviv protests last night.
Channel 12 quoted a protester as saying: There is complete chaos, the police are using wastewater in all directions, and cavalrymen are entering among the crowds. She added: There was a lot of commotion, people ran over each other to avoid the horses.
For his part, the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, declared his readiness for dialogue according to a specific approach, and the pursuit of “achieving a constitution for Israel based on the Declaration of Independence,” as he put it. He warned that if Netanyahu "tryes to deceive" he will find himself again in front of hundreds of thousands of demonstrators. Meanwhile, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy called on the soldiers to continue fulfilling their duty and to act responsibly in the face of bitter social divisions.
He said: This stage is different from any stage that Israel has witnessed before. He added that Israel did not witness a series of such days, "full of external threats at a time when a storm is forming at home."
The head of the Security Committee in the Knesset demanded that the Minister of Defense be reinstated after Netanyahu dismissed him in response to his demand to abandon the plan to reform the judiciary. The head of the Security Committee in the Knesset considered that "this is not the time for changes in the Ministry of Defense."
Okaz (Jeddah, Washington) @okaz_online