A turning point in Israel

Nationwide strikes and protests erupted in Israel as outrage grew over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the country’s courts. Many saw the move as a threat to Israel’s democracy. And on Monday, Netanyahu announced he would put the plan on pause.

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For months, Israelis have rallied against the country’s right-wing government as it tries to force a drastic overhaul of the Supreme Court. But protests intensified when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, after Gallant criticized Netanyahu’s judiciary reform.

The country was at a standstill as Israeli universities, workers’ unions, hospitals, malls and Israel’s national air carrier, El Al, announced a general strike and the international airport terminated outgoing flights indefinitely.

And it seems the protests had an effect. On Monday, after a long day of protests, Netanyahu announced a delay to the judicial reform proposal. 

The Washington Post’s Steve Hendrix in Jerusalem walks us through what happened, what this means for Israel and what might come. 

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