Under Fire

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reversed his decision to fire his defense minister, more than two weeks after the official called on the government to suspend a contentious judicial overhaul plan that had sparked fierce demonstrations across Israel, Axios reported.

Netanyahu announced Monday that he was reinstating Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, saying that he had “decided to put our differences behind us.”

The reversal came less than a month after Gallant made a televised speech calling on the ruling conservative coalition to suspend a judicial reform that would give the government and lawmakers more control in appointing judges.

The proposed plan received widespread opposition from many facets of Israeli society, including the business community and the military and intelligence branches. Gallant warned that the plan had “created an internal rift that poses a clear and immediate threat (to) Israel’s national security.”

Following his announcement, Netanyahu fired Gallant, a move that was soon met with large demonstrations and strikes in support of the minister that brought the country to a standstill.

Amid domestic and international pressure, Netanyahu later suspended the judicial overhaul bill to give a chance for dialogue with the opposition.

Analysts said Gallant’s reinstatement comes as Netanyahu and his coalition have taken a hit at the polls. One poll published over the weekend showed that only 21 percent of Israelis approve of the prime minister’s performance.

Meanwhile, some observers noted that the reversal also comes amid concerns over the security situation in Israel: Flaring tensions around Jerusalem’s Temple Mount led to an attack from Gaza, an unprecedented rocket attack launched from Lebanon, and a separate attack from Syria.