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Protesting against the planned changes in the judiciary: Demonstrators in Tel Aviv
Photo: AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP
According to the organizers, more than 100,000 people took to the streets for the seventh Saturday in a row against the controversial judicial reform in Israel.
In the coastal city of Tel Aviv, the demonstrators gathered in the center of the city in the evening and waved Israeli flags.
Among other things, signs read: “Israel must not become a dictatorship” or appeals to the international community such as “Biden, Macron – help us”.
Several streets had previously been closed due to the rally.
First reading planned for Monday
The protests, which also took place in cities such as Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheva, are directed against plans by the right-wing religious government to specifically weaken the country's judicial system.
Among other things, the parliament should be able to overrule decisions of the highest court with a simple majority.
Politicians should also be given more influence in the appointment of judges.
The first reading of the controversial reform in Parliament is planned for next Monday.
A total of three readings are required for a change in the law.
Critics see the plans as a threat to the democratic separation of powers.
The right-wing religious government argues that the court currently wields too much political influence.
As in the previous week, strikes and a large-scale demonstration are planned for Monday in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Israel's chief of police, Kobi Shabtai, warned against political violence in the face of a heated atmosphere.
People would write things without considering the implications, Schabtai told Channel 12, calling for dialogue.
The current situation is very worrying.
jpa/dpa/AP
