Netanyahu may have way out of ‘uncharted waters’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to sack defence minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday for opposing judicial reforms has taken Israel into “uncharted waters,” experts said.

“The spontaneity and intensity of the protests proved that these are not just regular demonstrations which the government can withstand or sustain for much longer,” said Adam Shinar, an associate professor in constitutional law at Israel’s Reichman University in Herzliya.

“A lot of liberal groups were participating. You had centrist, centre left, liberal right-wingers, religious groups as well.”

Others worry the country is on a dangerous path.

“We are in uncharted waters in terms of the intensity of the crisis and the protests,” Guy Lurie, lawyer and research fellow at the Israeli Democratic Institute, told The National.

Erwin Cutler, former justice minister of Canada, was in Jerusalem on Sunday.

“I am inspired by a sign I saw last night which said, ‘Democracy is in our soul. In the long run, the people will triumph’,” he said. Pro Shinar said that while the movement had brought diverse voices from across Israel, there had not been a significant call from Palestinian and Arab citizens of the country.

“Palestinian citizens of Israel already see themselves as second-class citizens and face systemic discrimination,” Mr Shinar said.

“They don’t see a promise of equality and ending the occupation in the demonstrations. If you’re a Palestinian citizen of Israel, you might feel alienated from the flag.”

But despite the opposition, Daniel Levy, a former Israeli government adviser, said the prime minister has options.

“Netanyahu’s demise is also not something that one should bet on right now,” he said.

“No one should underestimate the political smarts of Netanyahu, who has been in this game much longer than virtually anyone else who’s in this arena at the moment.

“But he is in the end corridor of [ascertaining] how does he juggle the managing of the country … with resolving his own personal legal issues. And that is the problem for Netanyahu.

“I think he has a challenge of reasserting leadership here,” Mr Levy said.