Benjamin Netanyahu freezes reform plans over fears Israel could be plunged into ‘civil war’

Prime minister accused of dictatorship plot as tens of thousands take to streets

Protesters attend a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government's plan for judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Photo: Reuters/Itai Ron

James Rothwell, JerusalemTelegraph Media Group Limited

Benjamin Netanyahu caved in to pressure last night to freeze his plans for legal reforms after a day of chaos in which tens of thousands of Israeli protesters marched through cities, grounded flights and closed businesses.