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After all of the chaos, protests, reservists quitting, and Galant being axed, reports that finally Netanyahu is considering pausing things until late April. Important to understand what this and what it isn't.
It isn't a decision to drop the overhaul. If Netanyahu reversed course, he'd lose his coalition 3 seconds later. It is a tactical move that relies on two things: a pledge from protesters that they will suspend protests too, and a bet that their momentum will dissipate as a result
The ultra-orthodox parties aren't going to desert Netanyahu whatever he decides, but Religious Zionism will. So the plan is put things on ice through Passover and the Israeli civil holidays (Memorial and Independence Days), hold some "talks" with the opposition, and then resume
You then paint the opposition as being the true obstinate parties, and hope that because the protesters stopped for a month, it will be hard to motivate the same numbers to come out again week after week
You also count on the new defense minister (Dichter) and IDF commanders to keep on impressing on troops and reservists the importance of serving, perhaps some are spooked by Ramadan tensions, maybe another incident with Hizballah or Iran, and the reservist strike loses steam
In the meantime, you cede no ground on the judicial selection committee but compromise on the override (I explained why here israelpolicyforum.org/2023/02/23/why…) and you hope to get through this in one piece after dividing and conquering
I don't know if this will ultimately work, but I'll bet that is the bet that Bibi is making. He is not charting a new course but simply making a course correction in the face of pressure that can no longer just be waved away, and after a series of bad miscalculations
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