Hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrated across the country on Saturday night in the 10th consecutive week of protests against their hard-right government's controversial legal reforms.
The demonstrations come as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government prepares to press on with its legislative agenda next week, shunning calls for a pause to allow for negotiations on the divisive plan.
The judicial overhaul is a cornerstone of Mr Netanyahu's administration, an alliance with ultra-Orthodox Jewish and extreme-right parties which took office at the end of last year. Critics say it threatens democracy and would result in less checks and balances.
The latest protests saw up to 500,000 people take to the streets, according to organisers. One journalist was among the people questioned by police for making anti-Netanyahu statements and at least three protesters were arrested.
The Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported opposition leader Yair Lapid said in a speech during demonstrations that Israel "is facing the greatest crisis in its history".
"A wave of terrorism is hitting us, our economy is crashing, money is escaping the country. Iran just signed yesterday a new agreement with Saudi Arabia. But the only thing this government cares about is crushing Israeli democracy," he said.
The biggest demonstration, in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, drew some 100,000 protesters, according to estimates given by Israeli media.
Many of them were waving blue and white Israeli flags.
"I'm demonstrating because the measures that the new government wants to take represent a real and immediate threat to Israeli democracy," one protester, tech entrepreneur Ran Shahor, told AFP.
Demonstrations were held in other cities and towns in the country of more than nine million.
Some 50,000 Israelis protested in the northern city of Haifa and 10,000 in Beersheba - the biggest yet in both - according to Israeli media.
The rallies broke up without major incident, although police arrested three protesters who were blocking traffic on Tel Aviv's ring road. Social media also suggested one man had been arrested for confronting protesters with a hammer, while local journalists reported other onlookers through eggs at the crowds.
The chair of parliament's law committee, Simcha Rotman, has scheduled daily hearings on parts of the government's reforms from Sunday through Wednesday ahead of votes.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin has said the coalition plans to pass key elements of the reforms before parliament goes into recess on April 2.
The proposed legislation would give more weight to the government in the committee that selects judges and would deny the Supreme Court the right to strike down any amendments to so-called Basic Laws, Israel's quasi-constitution.
The government has been pushing for changes that would limit the Supreme Court’s powers to rule against the legislature and the executive, giving the Israeli parliament (the Knesset) the power to override Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority of 61 votes out of the 120-seat Knesset.
These provisions have already been endorsed by lawmakers at first reading.
Israeli President Issac Herzog - who, in his largely ceremonial role, has tried to broker dialogue - on Thursday called on the coalition the halt the legislation, dubbing it "a threat to the foundations of democracy".
Another element of the reforms would give the 120-member parliament power to overrule Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority of 61 votes.
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2023-03-12 02:25:00Z
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