Protest on Ayalon Highway
Protest on Ayalon HighwayYossi Zeliger/TPS

An emergency consultation on the judicial reform, which was held at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office following the mass demonstrations that broke out throughout Israel, concluded early Monday morning.

At this stage it is not yet clear whether the reform will be stopped. The Prime Minister is expected to deliver a speech to the nation later in the morning.

While officials in the Likud Party said on Sunday night there is a possibility that Netanyahu may announce a pause of the legislation, Justice Minister Yariv Levin expressed his opposition to stopping the judicial reform. Shas and United Torah Judaism would reportedly support a pause, but Netanyahu has not yet made a final decision.

The Otzma Yehudit Party said, "We are strengthening the hands of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yariv Levin in not stopping the legislation. The right has no mandate to give up the judicial reform and surrender to violence. The majority of the people supported us so that we can govern."

Businessman and journalist Jacob Bardugo, a close confidante of Netanyahu, called for a recalculation of the course. "The country is above all. It doesn't matter now who is right and who is wrong, it would be right to recalculate the course."

Earlier, senior officials in the coalition said that "it is more than likely that the reform will be delayed."

Culture Minister Miki Zohar said, "We paid a heavy price for the failure to provide information. The reform of the judicial system is necessary and vital, but when the house is on fire, you don't ask who is right, but rather pour water on the fire and save its occupants. If the Prime Minister decides to stop the legislation to prevent the rift that has been created in the nation, we must support his position."

Minister Nir Barkat also expressed support for stopping the legislation. "The State of Israel is above everything. A united Israeli people is above everything. I will support the Prime Minister in the decision to stop and recalculate the course. The reform is necessary and we will carry it out - but not at the cost of civil war."

Minister of Settlement and National Missions Orit Strock wrote, "The news that Religious Zionism supports stopping the legislation is fake. 2.5 million right-wing voters are entitled to have their voice counted by their representatives in the Knesset. This is democracy, not the other way around."

The deputy head of the Samaria Regional Council, Davidi Ben Zion, also called for a halt to the legislation, saying, "The situation is very concerning. We are just before a dangerous point of no return. We must stop, take a deep breath and deal with the rift that has been created here. We don't have another country, we don't have another IDF."

Despite the discussions, the chairman of the Knesset Constitution Committee, MK Simcha Rothman, announced that the committee will convene at 8:00 a.m. on Monday to vote on the final text of the law changing the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee, ahead of its second and third readings.

The head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), Ronen Bar, arrived at the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem on Sunday night, after a crowd of demonstrators that rushed towards the house. Security officials clarified that the Shin Bet barriers around the house were not breached, only police barriers.