Israel has been a “boiling cauldron” for the last few hours. Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered in front of the Israeli parliament building, the Knesset, in Jerusalem demanding the withdrawal of Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial justice reform plan. All roads around the Knesset have been blocked, and thousands more protesters continue to arrive from the entrance to the city.

In a sign that the process is continuing in the Knesset, the parliamentary committee on laws voted this morning in favor of a central provision of the bill that is at the center of all the criticism: the legislation that changes the process of appointing judges.

Benjamin Netanyahu has not directly addressed the people so far, but with a post on Twitter he tries to calm spirits by writing: “I call on all the protesters in Jerusalem, from the right and the left, to behave responsibly and not to act violently. We are a fraternal people,”

Large police forces have been deployed in the area. Senior police sources told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that fear “immediate escalation” after far-right activists announced they would demonstrate Monday in the Knesset in favor of the reform.

Police warn of “activists who can potentially harm anti-reform protesters.” In addition, the far-right soccer fan group La Familia, known for its extreme right-wing views, invited its supporters to join the demonstration for the judicial change of government outside the Knesset.

Towards a political crisis?

Yoav Gallad, who disagreed with Netanyahu’s plans, was appointed defense minister.

“I call on the prime minister to revoke the removal of Yoav Gallad. The State of Israel cannot at this time, in the face of threats coming from all fronts, allow a change of the Minister of Defense”, said the leader of the Israeli opposition Yair Lapid during a press conference together with Yuli Edelstein, a top official of Likud, Netanyahu’s party.

“Given the situation, it is obvious that now is not the time to change the defense minister,” said Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

The far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gir he conveyed to Prime Minister Netanyahu that if the reform is stopped, as the Israeli president has requested, he will resign from his position in the government, but will continue to support the governing coalition.

At the same time, Economy Minister Nir Barkat, another top Likud figure, called on his colleagues via Twitter to “support the prime minister for a break in legislative reform.”

Demonstrations in other cities as well

Demonstrations are also taking place in other Israeli cities. Thousands of protesters gathered in front of Ben Gurion University and in the city of Be’er Sheva on Monday, calling on the government to stop the judicial review. Hundreds of protesters also gather near the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot

Hundreds of citizens are also protesting in the city of Ra’anana, where protests have grown significantly in recent weeks. A police barricade is preventing protesters from blocking the main highway through the city, as they did for hours last night.

General strike

Meanwhile, major private sector companies, from technology to catering, are announcing they are “downsizing”, while many they are openly against the government plan. Fast food chain McDonald’s announced that all its branches in Israel will close at noon on Monday as part of the general strike.

Israel’s largest Histadrut union earlier announced an immediate general strike, demanding the withdrawal of the justice reform plan.

“I call for a general strike (…) right after the press conference, the State of Israel stops,” said Arnon Bar David, head of Israel’s largest union. “Our mission is to stop the legislative process and we will.”

This announcement was followed by the announcement of the Israel Medical Association also declaring a general strike that will affect hospitals and public medical services.

Already, takeoffs have been suspended from Ben Gurion Airport in protest at the government’s judicial reform, an airport spokesman announced.

The Israeli Nurses Union participates in the nationwide strike, citing “ongoing judicial coup of the government”.

In the morning the president of Israel Isaac Herzog made a dramatic appeal to the government to “immediately halt” legislative work on the judicial reform bill, following a night of clashes between protesters and police in Tel Aviv.

Last night, thousands of citizens took to the streets of Tel Aviv after Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallad for calling for the withdrawal of the reform citing concerns about Israel’s security.