Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, whose dismissal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought the country's constitutional crisis to a boil, is staying in office until further notice, aides said on Tuesday, suggesting government indecision on how to proceed.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Beset by three months of unprecedented protests against his Coalition's signature plan to reform the judiciary, Netanyahu on Monday hit the pause button and called for compromise negotiations with the Opposition.
"Our goal is to reach agreements," he said in a pre-Passover toast to his staff, likening the crisis to a squabble among family gathered for the Jewish festival that begins next week.
But prospects appeared clouded. The Opposition, citing the continued presence of the highly contested bill on parliament's line-up, threatened to boycott any talks should it proceed.
"The walls of suspicion and hostility are higher than ever," President Isaac Herzog, who has offered to mediate between the sides, lamented in a speech.
Herzog was set to hold a first meeting with the delegations on Tuesday, his office said.
The suspension of the reforms stabilized Israel's shaken economy and was welcomed by Western powers. Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Reuters he was launching a diplomatic outreach aimed at reburnishing Israel's democratic credentials internationally.
However, questions lingered about Netanyahu's credibility – including in his own camp – after open dissent by some senior Likud party colleagues.
Among these was Gallant, who on Saturday broke rank by openly calling for a halt to the legislation in the name of preventing anti-reform protests from spreading in the IDF. A day later, Netanyahu said he was firing Gallant.
Ordinarily, that termination would have gone into effect on Tuesday, but Gallant aides said he never got the notification letter formally required to begin the 48-hour countdown to his removal from office and was continuing to work.
Asked whether Gallant was being kept on or replaced, spokespeople for Netanyahu and Likud had no immediate comment.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
