(Bloomberg) -- A senior Israeli cabinet minister fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for seeking a halt to a judicial overhaul is still on the job and may stay on as politicians grapple with the fallout of chaos that gripped the country this week. 

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, whose dismissal on Sunday helped drive massive protests and a general strike, has been seen all week at public events in his role. He’s been meeting with fellow cabinet members, greeting foreign visitors and holding security briefings.

The uncertainty over who holds or will hold such a key position is emblematic of the political chaos that has set in since Monday. It is also a sign that Netanyahu, a past master of political maneuvering, has found himself on his back heels over the judicial plan.

What Is Happening in Israel? What’s Netanyahu’s Judicial Change?

An official familiar with the situation said Gallant is working on a statement that may allow Netanyahu to forgive him for his unauthorized speech on Saturday night calling for a halt to legislation that would weaken the authority of Israel’s courts. 

There has been mediation between Gallant and Netanyahu aimed at reconciliation that could leave him in his job, but it was unclear whether this would be successful, the official said. 

A request for comment to Netanyahu’s office was not immediately answered on Friday. 

The protests and strike led Netanyahu to freeze the government push to overhaul the judiciary. In recent days, President Isaac Herzog has been meeting with negotiators for all of the parties as he seeks a compromise on the plans. 

Gallant, 64, is seen as one of the more moderate members of Netanyahu’s three-month old government, the most right-wing and religious in the country’s history. A former naval and regional commander, he has faced upheaval in the military over the judicial plan, which critics say will remove a key check on executive and legislative power and endanger democracy.

In his speech last Saturday, Gallant warned that the societal split being caused by the judicial plan was leading some in the reserves to threaten not to show up for duty. He urged a halt to the legislation, which seeks to give politicians dominance in selecting judges and reduce the high court’s power to overturn legislation and government action. 

At the time, Netayahu was on a visit to London.

An official familiar with Netanyahu’s thinking said he was shocked by the timing of the speech and worried that Gallant was showing sympathy for those refusing to serve. Twenty-four hours later, the prime minister’s office issued a one-sentence statement that Gallant was relieved of his duties. 

Since the firing, Netanyahu has been interviewing other ministers about replacing Gallant, according to Israeli media reports. 

(Adds talks, paragraph 7. An earlier version of the story corrected the day Gallant was fired)

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