Activists urged Mr Netanyahu to drop the legislation entirely following the largest mass demonstrations in the country for decades.

On Monday, Mr Netanyahu bowed to the discontent by announcing a delay in the plan and saying that he wanted “to avoid civil war” by seeking a compromise with political opponents during the next several weeks.

“From a will to prevent the rift in the nation, I have decided to delay the second and third reading in order to reach a broad consensus,” he said in a TV address.

The plans would enable parliament to override Supreme Court decisions and hold control over judicial appointments, though critics labelled the move a threat to democracy. Mr Netanyahu is currently on trial on corruption charges.

The crisis reached a fever pitch on Sunday night when Mr Netanyahu sacked his defence minister Yoav Gallant for opposing the reforms. It prompted Israel’s president Isaac Herzog to urge Mr Netanyahu to halt the legislation, saying it posed a threat to the country’s “security, economy and society”.

The firing sparked a spontaneous outburst of anger, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in just one hour.

Chanting "the country is on fire," they lit bonfires on Tel Aviv's main highway, closing the thoroughfare and many others throughout the country for hours.

Shikma Bressler, one of the main protest leaders, said Mr Netanyahu was trying to weaken the demonstrations by announcing the delay.

“The statements of the prime minister and his extremist partners are an admission of their intention to bring the dictatorship laws back to the table in the next parliamentary session, harming the economy and the security of the country.”

She added: “As long as the legislation continues and is not shelved, we will be on the streets.”

Business leaders, top economists and former security chiefs have all come out against the plan, saying it is pushing the country toward an autocracy.