Israel's Netanyahu Delays Judicial Plan as Rift Widens

After facing some of the largest protests in Israel's history, the Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu delayed its controversial plan to weaken the country's judiciary. As thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Knesset in Jerusalem. I'm here because I'm orange for democracy. I'm here for my children. I'm here for my family to build this country, for my friends to survive the Holocaust. There will not be a citizenship in Israel. Netanyahu said he would postpone the final votes on the judicial overhaul until the next parliamentary session to build consensus and find a compromise that would be accepted by most Israelis.

The Israeli Prime Minister had previously brushed off warnings the judicial overhaul would hurt Israel's economy, undermine its democracy, or even set off a civil war. But after Netanyahu fired his defense minister for criticizing the plan, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets late at night on March 26th in a spontaneous show of anger. In the morning, Israel's labor union announced a major general strike. The airport, universities, and most businesses shut down. Tens of thousands of protesters again converged outside the parliament and later faced off with thousands of counter protesters who support the government plan. And by nightfall, Netanyahu put the plan on ice and would appear to be a major victory for a grassroots protest movement that didn't even exist just three months ago. A major victory for now.

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