Tens of thousands of protesters packed the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night, marking the 28th straight week of demonstrations against the government's plan to reform the judiciary. Protest leaders promised further "days of disruption" lie ahead.
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The government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave initial approval to a key portion of the overhaul earlier this week. The bill still needs to be approved in two more votes, expected by the end of the month, before it becomes law.
The decision to push ahead with the bill also sparked renewed threats from IDF reservists, including from pilots, to cease volunteering if the government moves forward with the legislation.
Video: Anti-reform protesters constructing a 'resistance tower' in Herzliya (Credit:Moshe Schiff)
Saturday night protests have become a mainstay of the protest movement, although this week's was said to be larger than usual.
In Tel Aviv, protesters unrolled a massive banner reading "SOS." They threw paint powder into the sky, streaking it pink and orange. "Handmaids" – women dressed in red robes as characters from the dystopian novel and TV series "The Handmaid's Tale" – once again took to the streets, suggesting that the judicial reform could strip women of their rights.
On Tuesday, protesters blocked major highways and disrupted operations at Ben-Gurion International Airport after the Coalition advanced a bill that is part of the overhaul. Organizers said they would hold another "day of disruption" on Tuesday if Netanyahu continues to move ahead with the plan.
The prime minister was hospitalized on Saturday for dehydration after suffering a dizzy spell and having spent the previous day in the sun without drinking water. He later released a video from the Tel Aviv hospital, saying he felt good. However, Netanyahu was to spend the night in the hospital, according to his office, and a weekly Cabinet meeting scheduled for Sunday was pushed to Monday.
Saturday's protest in Tel Aviv was joined by others across the country. Protesters brandished lit torches outside Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem and demonstrated in the coastal cities of Herzliya and Netanya.
Critics of the judicial reform say it will upset the country's fragile system of checks and balances and concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies. Proponents, however, say it will help balance the power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, bringing Israel more in line with other democratic nations.
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