Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his defense minister on Sunday after the latter asked on Saturday night for a month-long pause in the controversial judicial reform process the government wants, AFP reported.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to relieve Defense Minister Yoav Galant of his duties,” Netanyahu’s press service said in a brief statement.

Israelis have been protesting for several weeks

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis take to the streets every week to protest justice reforms pushed by Israel’s ruling coalition, the most right-wing in the country’s history.

According to critics, the plan will undermine the independence of the country’s judiciary and put an end to the separation of powers in the state within the framework of Israel’s liberal democracy.

Movements against the judicial reform have called for new protests across the country, including civil disobedience measures such as road blockades that could bring traffic to a standstill in Israel.