'Israel is burning': Massive protest against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool)

Israelis kept up their months-old protests against the far-right government's judicial overhaul, days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with the controversial plan.

Brandishing banners reading "Israel is burning" and deeming Netanyahu an "enemy of democracy", demonstrators thronged the heart of the commercial hub of Tel Aviv on Saturday.

While there was no immediate turnout figure, the weekly rallies have regularly drawn tens of thousands.

After a brief general strike prompted the government to halt the legislation in March, Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to get the reform package back on track and "begin the practical measures".

His announcement, lacking in detail, came after opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz pulled out of cross-party talks on the reform.

Netanyahu returned to power in December at the head of a coalition with radical Jewish and extreme-right parties.

Protests amid occupied West Bank violence

Demonstrators have been protesting since January against the government's proposals to weaken the Supreme Court and grant politicians more powers in the selection of judges.

Netanyahu insists that his plan would enhance democracy and restore the balance among the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government.

The government accuses activist judges of increasingly usurping the role of parliament and says the overhaul is needed to restore the balance between the judiciary and elected politicians.

Opponents of the plan argue it would undermine democracy and view it as a power grab in favour of the executive authority.

It comes amid heightened Israeli violence in the occupied West Bank.

So far this year, Israeli military incursions into occupied Palestinian territory have killed around 180 Palestinians. Around 25 Israelis have also been killed in the area.

Source: TRT