New Delhi: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has halted his plan to overhaul the country's judiciary, following a day of widespread unrest that saw employees participating in a general strike and hundreds of thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets, reported the news agency Reuters.
The proposal, which aims to grant the executive control over judicial appointments and empower parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions, has sparked one of the most significant internal crises in Israeli history.
In a statement released on Monday evening, Netanyahu announced that he would defer the plans until after the Passover holiday and Independence Day when parliament is set to reconvene. He stressed the need for all parties to act responsibly in addressing the crisis.
"Israeli society is on a dangerous collision course. We are in the midst of a crisis that is endangering the basic unity between us," he said in a prime-time television address, according to Reuters.
As he made the address, huge crowds had gathered in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, including a large counter-demonstration by right-wing supporters of the overhaul. Their presence prompted fears of possible violence between the two sides but the evening passed with no reports of major violence.
For months, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities to protest a project its critics say would destroy the checks and balances protecting Israeli democracy.
Netanyahu, currently on trial on corruption charges which he denies, had previously promised the overhaul would not pose a threat to individual rights but had given no sign of giving way on any of its essentials.
The decision to suspend the overhaul followed an extraordinary weekend in which Defence Minister Yoav Gallant was sacked after warning the divisions caused by the plans had affected the military and were threatening national security.
His dismissal by Netanyahu led thousands to take to the streets and Israel's President Isaac Herzog to urge a halt.
(With inputs from Reuters)