Consultations continue between parties in the ruling coalition in the face of unprecedented popular mobilization and international backlash over controversial judicial reform, as well as fears that Israel’s worst national crisis in years could split the ruling coalition.

After Netanyahu postponed today’s scheduled announcements, it was announced this morning that he would postpone parliamentary debate on the controversial reform, according to a statement from the far-right ruling Jewish Force party.

The announcement emphasizes that the law will be submitted to the next session of the Knesset to “carry out reform through dialogue.” Next week, the parliament will stop working for the Easter holidays.

It was unclear whether delaying the bill’s passage until the next parliamentary session would satisfy both sides or defuse the crisis that the Israeli army chief of staff says distinguishes “this period from all previous ones.”

Itamar Ben-Gvir, minister of internal security and head of the ultra-nationalist Jewish Power Party, said he had agreed to delay the bill in exchange for a commitment to bring it to the next Knesset session.

Earlier today, Israeli media reported that Ben-Gvir had threatened to leave the government, which could lead to the loss of Netanyahu’s majority if judicial reform is reversed.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters, AFP.