TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) 鈥 Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday against a controversial plan to revamp the country鈥檚 legal system, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 suspension of the changes earlier in the week.
The protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, Israel鈥檚 commercial hub on the Mediterranean, for the 13th weekly demonstration, raising Israeli flags and banners against what they said were plans to weaken the Supreme Court. Several smaller rallies took place in other towns and cities.
The protests have been going on since Netanyahu鈥檚 government, the most right-wing in the country鈥檚 history, introduced the changes.
But on Monday, Netanyahu that deeply divided the Israelis, saying he wanted 鈥渢o avoid civil war鈥 by making time to seek a compromise with political opponents. Protest organizers, however, vowed to keep up the pressure, calling for the plans to be scrapped.
The proposal has plunged Israel into its worst domestic crisis in decades. , top economists and have all come out against the plan, saying it is pushing the country toward an autocracy. Fighter pilots and military reservists have threatened not to report for duty, and the country鈥檚 currency, the shekel, has tumbled in value.
The plan would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his allies the final say in appointing the nation鈥檚 judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court鈥檚 ability to review laws.
Netanyahu has argued that the overhaul is needed to rein in a liberal and overly interventionist court of unelected judges. But his opponents say the package would damage the country鈥檚 system of checks and balances by concentrating power in the hands of Netanyahu鈥檚 allies. They also say that he has a conflict of interest as a criminal defendant.
