Israel Tensions Ease As Netanyahu Pauses Overhaul

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s political factions opposed to embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are setting up negotiating teams after he called for dialogue and paused his controversial judicial overhaul plan that had set off unprecedented mass street protests and a spiraling domestic crisis. But compromise appears elusive as the standoff remained the same on Tuesday: a dispute over the fundamental issue of what kind of country Israel should be. Positions only appear to have hardened in past days. Netanyahu said he wanted “to avoid civil war” and would seek a compromise with political opponents. He spoke after tens of thousands of people demonstrated outside the parliament building in Jerusalem.