Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there are ongoing efforts to reach consensus ahead of the crucial Knesset vote on a bill aimed at curtailing judges' discretion in certain cases.
The bill is set to be passed by parliament in the coming days as part of the government's judicial overhaul plan, which has sparked protests and outrage domestically and abroad.
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The bill, the so-called "reasonableness" bill, would block the court from voiding decisions or appointments made by the government that it deems "unreasonable."
Video: Gil Levine / Protesters block Ayalon Highway after Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech
A major Opposition leader, Benny Gantz, called on Wednesday for compromise talks facilitated by the president. "Even in these moments... efforts are being made to achieve consensus," Netanyahu said in an address to the press.
"I truly hope these efforts will succeed but even if they don't, the coalition's door to the opposition will remain open always," Netanyahu said.
Israeli protesters blocked roads and public transportation in a mass day of disruption on Tuesday, as leaders from the business sector, medical professionals, academics and military reservists voiced their opposition to the planned legislation which would see the highest court stripped of much of its power.
Proponents of the legislation say it would restore balance to the branches of government while those against say it removes checks and balances on government powers.
Netanyahu said Israel "would continue to be a democracy", adding statements by hundreds of reservists that they would refuse voluntary service if the overhaul passes was harmful to the country.
"Refusal to serve endangers democracy," Netanyahu said. "We cannot tolerate that."
Protest organizers called for a night of demonstrations on Thursday as local media reported major roads in the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa had been blocked by protesters.
Shortly after the speech, hundreds of demonstrators descended on Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv and clashed with police for hours, with police resorting to water cannons and other riot-dispersal means.
Thousand of protesters have also continued their march to Jerusalem, with the hope of holding a massive demonstration near the Knesset over the weekend, just days before it is expected to pass the first part of the judicial reform.
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