Tens of thousands of Israelis turned out on Saturday to the weekly protest in Tel Aviv against a contentious judicial reform, in the 23rd weekend of such rallies.

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Israeli media estimated that some 80,000 attended the main rally on Kaplan Street, along with thousands of others in numerous locations around the country where smaller rallies were held. In Tel Aviv, many roads were closed to traffic due to the protests.

Some protesters held signs taking the government to task over alleged inaction on a soaring crime wave that has affected the country's Arab sector. Since the start of the year, some 100 people have been killed in crime-related violence in Arab Israeli communities, according to NGOs.

The government's reform proposals would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges.

The government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a coalition between his Likud party and hard-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues that changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Demonstrations against the government's judicial reform continued Saturday, for the 15th consecutive week, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to pause the highly contested proposals.

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Protest organizers, who have held suck weekly demonstrations since January when the legislation was first announced, aim to maintain momentum and increase pressure on Netanyahu and his government until the proposed changes are scrapped.

Video: Reuters

Bending to the mass protests, Netanyahu paused the overhaul plans in March, saying he wanted "to avoid civil war" and give sincere negotiations a chance.

However, in a new ripple, thousands of heretofore quiescent supporters of reform also attended protests across the country.

Matan Peleg, chairman of Im Tirtzu, a Zionist NGO, said, "We thank the tens of thousands who came out to the streets to express their support for the judicial reform. We won't let the anarchists harm the voter's decision. There is a duty to pass the reform so that there will be democracy here."

Members of government joined the crowd in the coastal city of Netanya, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit Party and Likud members of Knesset Tali Gottlieb, Nissim Vaturi, Ariel Kallner, Sasson Guetta and Avichay Buaron.

"After 75 years, the time has come that the nationalist camp will be a true partner in running the state, and that starts with real involvement in the Supreme Court. The judicial reform will pass," said Buaron.

Pro-reform protesters also gathered in front of the President's Residence in Jerusalem. Among the signs at the protest: "Honorable President, you don't have the mandate to cancel our vote."

Critics have said the judicial reform would destroy Israel's system of checks and balances by concentrating power in the hands of the government. In addition, they say that Netanyahu has a conflict of interest as he is currently on trial for corruption charges.

Proponents, however, say the legislation would balance the power of the executive, judicial and legislative and bring Israel more in line with other democratic nations.

 JNS.org contributed to this report.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday criticized the global ratings agency Moody's for downgrading Israel's credit outlook from positive to stable due to concern over the judicial reform.

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The ratings agency showed an imperfect grasp of Israeli realities and a lack of faith in the famous resilience of the local economy, Netanyahu charged in a joint statement with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

"The concern that Moody's analysts raise about the public controversy and its effect on Israel's political and economic stability is natural for those who do not know the strength of Israeli society," the statement said. "The analysts at the Moody's ratings agency correctly recognize the strength of the Israeli economy in all indices and the correct and responsible economic leadership that we lead, with the wise management of public spending and in the advancement of growth-encouraging reforms."

"As those who believe in the strength of Israeli society, its unity, and its ability to overcome disputes and crises, as it has done many times in the past, we are confident that with God's help, it will be thus once more," it said.

An earlier statement to the press attributed to "sources close to Netanyahu" said that Moody's analysts "are being affected by the atmosphere. They have friends in Israel who are telling them tall tales. Are they informed on the issue? Not really. In conversations with them, we found out that they don't really understand the details."

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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