Israel: Netanyahu attempts to head off strikes in protest over judicial reforms

Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu told them that he would continue to work toward dialogue and agreements on the issue of judicial reform

Tel Aviv: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem held a meeting with Histadrut (Israel’s national labour federation) Chairman Arnon Bar-David and Israeli Business Sector Presidium Chairman Dubi Amitai about his government’s continuing efforts to pass a controversial judicial reform program.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu told them that he would continue to work toward dialogue and agreements on the issue of judicial reform.

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The reform plan has met with months of massive demonstrations against it that have seen major highways and city streets blocked to traffic.

Many IDF reservists have also been threatening to refuse to perform military service should it pass and this week even saw a general strike carried out throughout the country one day by medical workers who provided only emergency services.

The Histadrut’s leadership has threatened to call for nationwide strikes of all sectors of the economy if the government does not agree to some sort of compromise deal with the opposition on the reforms.

Israel’s political opposition charges the government’s planned judicial program will harm Israel’s democratic nature since it would, among other things, in effect end the country’s Supreme Court’s ability to serve as a check on the government and authority to review new laws to ensure they do not contradict democratic principles.

The government asserts that its reforms would restore Israel’s democracy by ending what it claims has been an undemocratic assertion of too much political power by Israel’s Supreme Court.