Thousands of Israelis March to Jerusalem to Protest Judiciary Overhaul

JERUSALEM: Thousands of Israelis continue their march to Jerusalem to protest against the government's plan to overhaul the judicial system.

The 70-km march began on Thursday in Tel Aviv, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday in an address to the country that he would continue pushing forward with a bill that would limit the power of the courts to review government decisions and appointments. The final vote on the bill is expected on Monday and will likely pass due to the majority the coalition has in the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament.

On Saturday morning, the protestors reached the outskirts of Jerusalem. In the evening, they set up a camp in front of the Knesset, Xinhua news agency reported. On Friday, Israeli media reported an increase in the number of military reservists' defections, raising concerns about how this may affect military preparedness. In a phone call earlier this week, US President Joe Biden also urged Netanyahu to freeze the legislation until a broader consensus is reached.

Netanyahu and his partners say the reforms are necessary in order to limit the judicial system which has become too powerful in recent decades. They also say the Supreme Court often intervenes in political issues that should be determined by the Parliament. Demonstrators say the reforms will weaken the courts and give the ruling coalition limitless power. IANS

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