Poll: Two-thirds of religious public religious public oppose halting judicial reforms

66% of those surveyed said they believed the legislation should go forward as planned, while 32% called to stop it.

By World Israel News Staff

A poll published on Monday found that two thirds of Israel’s religious public is in favor of continuing the judicial reform, despite intense pressure by the protest movement on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt it.

66% of the 1,300 participants in the survey, conducted by Direct Polls, said they believed the legislation should go forward as planned, while 32% called to “stop the legislation.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party, addressed right-wing voters, saying: “Under no circumstances should the reform to fix the justice system and strengthen Israeli democracy be stopped. We are the majority. We cannot submit to violence, anarchy, refusals [to serve in the IDF] and wild strikes. We are the majority. Let’s make our voices heard.”

According to a statement released by Otzma Yehudit on Monday evening, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Netanyahu have agreed to postpone the judicial reform legislation until the summer.

Netanyahu in return agreed to the formation of a civil “national guard” under Ben-Gvir aimed at bolstering public safety, the statement said.

The prime minister has yet to issue a statement himself to that effect.

Anti-Netanyahu protestsBenjamin NetanyahuItamar Ben-GvirJudicial reformreligious-secular divide