Netanyahu fires minister who’d called for halt to controversial Israeli judicial overhaul

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after he dramatically broke ranks and called for a pause in the government’s controversial drive to overhaul Israel’s court system.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to remove Defense Minister Yoav Gallant from his post,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday.

Gallant used a speech on Saturday night – when Netanyahu was out of the country on an official visit to the United Kingdom – to call for a halt to judicial reforms, which have sparked weeks of protests. Some military reservists have pledged to pull out of their service in opposition to the plans, which critics say would undermine the independence of the judiciary.