The temporary stoppage of the “judicial reform” promoted by Beniamin Netanyahu’s executive was accompanied by a new concession to the Jewish extreme right. The temporary freezing of the controversial legislative process, which for his detractors is a breath of fresh air for Bibi to reorganize his strategy, in turn meant a signed commitment to establish a “national guard”.
Given the Likud leader’s long record of non-compliance, some doubt that the promise will ever materialize. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened Netanyahu with imploding the coalition if he stops “judicial reform”, the star electoral proposal of the right-wing bloc, which is already eroding the separation of powers in the Jewish state.
To avoid a civil war and give room for negotiation, Netanyahu opted to give a radical, indicted in the past for racist incitement, a new police force under his control. Widespread fear after the compromise was revealed was that the “national guard” would be used to repress Palestinian and political opponents.
“The reform will be approved, the national guard will be established, and the budget that I demanded for the Ministry of National Security will be received in full. They will not intimidate us, nor will they be able to change the will of the people”, the minister responsible for the police assured emphatically.
Ben-Gvir, who has no military experience (he was banned by the army due to his supremacist views), has wreaked havoc on the police force, issuing orders to disperse demonstrations without regard to their complex implementation on the ground. On occasions, he skipped the chain of command and demanded a strong hand from the agents to intimidate the “anarchists” who have blocked roads in recent weeks. If the “national guard” is formed, the body will report directly to Ben-Gvir, so it will not have to coordinate its actions with the police.
While, on Monday night, violent attacks perpetrated by far-rightists against Arabs, leftists and journalists took place, Ben-Gvir took a mass bath with his supporters, who in some cases also clashed with the police that he himself directs. A Channel 13 reporter was hospitalized with a broken rib, there was an attempted lynching of a Palestinian taxi driver in Jerusalem, and hooligans from the Beitar soccer club got away with assaulting protesters in Tel Aviv.
“This is the result of incitement promoted by Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir, who now intends to turn his thug militia into a national guard that will spread terror and violence across the country,” opposition leader Yair Lapid warned. According to former police chief Moshe Karadi, the supremacist minister will recruit members of the “youth of the hills”, the most violent sector in the Jewish settlements of the West Bank, known for its recurring assaults on Palestinian villages or clashes with security forces. Israeli security. “It will be a private guard for their political interests,” Karadi warned.
After the riots between Jews and Arabs in mixed cities in Israel during the last war in Gaza (2021), the ultra minister already demanded the formation of civil militias. Despite the fact that Netanyahu assured in his speech on Monday that “there is an extremist minority that is prepared to disintegrate the country using violence and incitement”, the physical attacks came, as usual, from right-wing sectors.
As the central committee of the anti-government protests is reshuffling its strategy, the “opportunity for dialogue” promised by Netanyahu is beginning to crystallize. “You have to stay alert so that it doesn’t happen to us like in Poland. There, too, there was a tactical and temporary withdrawal of the legislation,” warned Shikma Bresler, a scientist who became a benchmark for the popular revolt.
On Monday night, the country’s president, Isaac Herzog, invited coalition and opposition negotiating teams to his official residence. Herzog previously proposed a formula to solve the crisis and avoid a civil conflict, which was rejected by Netanyahu as he considered it favorable to the interests of his detractors. However, Likud sources hinted that it could now be taken up again as a basis for negotiations. “I hope that the opportunity opened after the stoppage of the legislation gives rise to a serious and responsible debate,” Herzog predicted.