Israeli so-called National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir promised not to leave the government of Benjamin Netanyahu in exchange for annexing the Zionist entity’s National Guard unit to his ministry.
The government will approve at its next meeting on Sunday a decision to subjugate the National Guard to Ben-Gvir’s ministry, The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday.
Netanyahu also promised that if agreements over the judicial reform were not reached during the Passover recess, the reform would pass during the next Knesset term, Ben-Gvir said.
Ben-Gvir on Monday reportedly threatened that his party, Otzma Yehudit, would quit the government if Netanyahu decided to freeze the legislation until after the Knesset recess between April 2-30.
The so-called National Guard is currently a unit within the Israeli occupation Border Police, and was formed during the previous government’s tenure in the wake of clashes with Palestinians in Al-Quds and the West Bank during May 2021.
“Its purpose is to provide security in similar situations in the future. It numbers approximately 900 regular fighters, and thousands more reservists and volunteers,” according to the Israeli daily.
The coalition announced last week that the first bill, which would give the coalition a majority in Israeli Judicial Appointments Committee, would pass before the Knesset recesses.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Saturday night that the bill’s passing could lead to widespread refusal to show up for voluntary reserve duty, especially amongst pilots in the Israel Air Force. This constitutes a “real and concrete” danger to Israel’s security, Gallant said.
Netanyahu on Sunday evening announced that he was removing Gallant from his position, sparking widespread protest across the Zionist entity and a general strike amongst Israeli largest union, business sector, hi-tech sector and more.
Netanyahu then announced suspension of the judicial overhaul plan. His announcement appeared to calm some of the tensions. But it failed to address the underlying issues that have polarized Israelis.
Israeli law enforcement is starting to employ force, including mass arrests and the deployment of stun weapons to scatter demonstrators.#Thearabposts #Israel #israelprotests #BenjaminNetanyahu #Trendingvideos #Viralvideos pic.twitter.com/QF5j0RuCBR
— The Arab Posts (@The_Arab_Posts) March 28, 2023
A flurry of phone calls between rival opposition leaders followed Netanyahu’s announcement and lasted into Tuesday morning.
Ben-Gvir Forming “Militias”
Reacting to the agreement between Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir, former Israel Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi held a press conference by the Commanders for Israel’s Security, which was convened in order to discuss the judicial reforms.
“Ben-Gvir formed a private militia for his political purposes. He is dismantling Israeli democracy, summoning whoever does not bend to his will, and endangering Israel’s security.”
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel said in response, “We already saw what happened when Ben-Gvir wanted to suppress the protests, now one can only imagine what will happen when he has his own militias.
“It is important to understand – the “National Guard” that Netanyahu promised is a private armed militia that will answer directly to Ben-Gvir.”
“This is a new and dangerous addition to the coup d’etat that we are witnessing. As if it is not enough to act against the judicial system, now we see operative steps to take authorities from the police and turn them into Ben-Gvir’s Revolutionary Guards,” the Israeli association added.
Source: Israeli media (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
