Israelis rally against Netanyahu’s judicial plan for 22nd week

The protests continue despite the Prime Minister’s announcement in March that the controversial legislative proposals were put on hold.

Tens of thousands of protesters have gathered in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities to protest the judicial review plans of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

The protests, now entering their 22nd week, continued on Saturday despite Netanyahu’s announcement in March that the controversial bills were being suspended.

In the central city of Tel Aviv, some 100,000 people waved Israeli flags, lit torches and beat drums, according to Israeli media.

“We will continue to demonstrate to show them that even if they have interrupted the reform plan, we will remain mobilized – they will not be able to legislate in secret,” said Ilit Fayn, a 55-year-old dentist .

Netanyahu’s government, a coalition between his Likud party and both far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues that the proposed changes are necessary to rebalance power between lawmakers and the judiciary.

Critics say it will give the government unlimited power and shake up the country’s system of checks and balances.

The plan would weaken the judiciary and limit judicial oversight of laws and government decisions, which critics say poses a direct threat to civil, minority and marginalized groups’ rights.

The protests continued even as the government and opposition are in talks to find a compromise on the plan.

“It is important for us to rule out the possibility of Israel becoming a dictatorship,” Arnon Oshri, a 66-year-old farmer, told AFP news agency.

“This corrupt government is full of bandits who are degrading our country to the level of a third world country,” he said.

“It took 2,000 years for the Jewish people to have a state and we can’t lose it because of a bunch of fanatics.”