Israel’s Netanyahu sacks defence minister amid growing discontent

Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defence minister a day after he called on the Israeli leader to halt a planned judicial overhaul that has divided the country and caused growing discontent within the military.

The move underscored Netanyahu's determination to press on this week with the overhaul, which has sparked mass protests, angered military and business leaders and raised concerns among Israel's allies. The defence minister, Yoav Gallant, was the first senior member of the Likud party to speak out against the plan.

In a brief statement on Sunday, Netanyahu s office said the prime minister had dismissed Gallant.

The decision came less than a day after Gallant suggested that a pause in the controversial legislation be put in place until after the Independence Day holidays next month, citing the turmoil in the military over the plan.

After the announcement that Israel's security always was and will always be my life mission, there was immediate outrage over his sacking with thousands of Israelis taking to the streets to protest on Sunday evening, with reports that demonstrators had breached barriers close to Netanyahu's home.

Israel s consul-general in New York said he was resigning in protest at Netanyahu's treatment of his defence minister. Asaf Zamir said on Twitter that they can no longer represent this government. I believe it is my duty to ensure that Israel remains a beacon of democracy and freedom in the world. The opposition leader Yair Lapid said that Gallant's dismissal was a new low for the Anti-Zionist government that harms national security and ignores warnings of all defense officials. Lapid said that Israel's prime minister is a threat to the security of the state of Israel.

Avi Dichter, a former head of the Shin Bet security agency, is expected to replace him. Dichter had reportedly considered joining Gallant, but he was backing the prime minister on Sunday.

Protest organisers called for a spontaneous demonstration outside the military headquarters in Tel Aviv in response to Gallant's dismissal.

Netanyahu s government is pushing for a parliamentary vote this week on a piece of legislation that would give the governing coalition the final say over all judicial appointments. It wants to pass laws that would give parliament the authority to override Supreme Court decisions with a basic majority and limit judicial review of laws.

Netanyahu and his allies say the plan will restore a balance between the judicial and executive branches and rein in what they see as an interventionist court with liberal sympathies.

But critics say the laws will remove the checks and balances in Israel's democratic system and concentrate power in the hands of the governing coalition.