Pressure mounts to pause judicial overhaul

JERUSALEM — A top lawmaker from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party echoed on Sunday a call by the defence chief to pause a contested judicial overhaul and raised the possibility that the government’s parliamentary majority could be eroded.

Dissent from the premier’s own party and cabinet has compounded months of unprecedented mass protests by Israelis who fear the package of reforms could endanger court independence.

Netanyahu, who is on trial on graft charges that he denies, says the overhaul will balance out the branches of government.

A key bill effectively giving his religious-nationalist coalition more control over the appointment of judges is expected to be brought for ratification this week in the Knesset, where he and his allies wield 64 out of 120 seats.

But how — or even whether — that as-yet unscheduled vote will proceed has been thrown into question by Likud dissenters.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, a Likud lawmaker, broke ranks on Saturday by publicly urging Netanyahu to suspend the legislation for a month. He said countrywide protests against the overhaul, which have included growing numbers of military reservists, were also affecting regular forces and undermining national security.

“I will not facilitate this,” Gallant said in his televised remarks, hinting that, should the ratification vote nonetheless be held this week, he might abstain.