Netanyahu’s failure to grasp anger over Israel judicial overhaul exposes weaknesses

Israeli prime minister looks out of touch in his handling of response to the country’s latest political crisis

Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, kept the country waiting all day, but in the end, when he finally announced a suspension to the government’s proposed judicial overhaul, it was a theatrical speech. The 73-year-old compared the unprecedented rift dividing Israel to the tale of Solomon, who commanded an infant be cut in half to decide which of two women was its real mother, thus displaying his wisdom. Try as he might, however, in this story Netanyahu is not playing the role of the king.

Rather, Israel’s latest political crisis is once again completely his own doing. Bibi, as he is widely known, has for now bought some time by delaying implementing the controversial legislation weakening the power of the supreme court to the Knesset’s summer session, but the issue is far from resolved.