Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will delay the process for discussions on the controversial planned judicial overhaul to next month, a statement from the far-right and coalition member party Jewish Power said on Monday.

The statement said the legislation would be pushed to the next session of Israeli parliament in order to “pass the reform through dialogue”. Parliament will go on recess next week for the Passover holiday.

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

The decision came as over 80,000 Israelis took to the streets and almost all major industries went on strike on Monday in response to the proposed legislation and teh firing of the country’s defence minister, who mounted a vociferous attack on the bill over the weekend.

Right-wing backers of the overhaul have called on supporters to counter protest later on Monday.

“I call on all protesters in Jerusalem, from the left or the right, to act in a responsible manner and not act with violence,” Mr Netanyahu tweeted.

Departing flights from the country’s main international airport were grounded, large mall chains and universities shut their doors, and Israel’s largest trade union called for its 800,000 members — in health, transit, banking and other fields — to stop work.

Diplomats walked off the job at foreign missions, local governments were expected to close the preschools they run and cut other services, and the main doctors union announced its members would also strike.

Source: thenationalnews.com