Israelis continue protests against judicial overhaul

JERUSALEM/TEL AVIV — Tens of thousands of protesters packed the streets of Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Israel on Saturday night, marking the 28th straight week of demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the country's judiciary. Protest leaders said further "days of disruption" lie ahead.

Saturday's rallies came days after parliament approved in its first reading a bill that would reduce the "reasonability" clause, through which the judiciary can strike down government decisions.

The proposals would also give the government a greater say in the appointment of judges.

In Tel Aviv, protesters unrolled a massive banner reading "SOS". They threw paint powder into the sky, streaking it pink and orange.

"This is a battle for the country, we want to keep Israel democratic, and the dictatorship laws won't pass here," protester Nili Elezra, 54, told Agence France-Presse.

To her, passing the laws would harm Israel's financial and global standings.

"Things will be bad. People are already leaving, money is being lost, investors are fleeing, the world doesn't want to talk to us, nobody is happy with what's going on here."

Netanyahu was admitted to hospital 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 a 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.

Few signs of abating

After more than six months of protests, the movement shows few signs of abating. Israel's national labor union and its medical association have joined a long list of groups speaking out against the bill. Military reservists, fighter pilots and business leaders have all urged the government to halt the plan.

Arnon Bar-David, head of the country's national labor union, the Histadrut, threatened a possible general strike that could paralyze the country's economy.

"If the situation reaches an extreme, we will intervene and employ our strength," Bar-David said, calling on Netanyahu to "stop the chaos".

Agencies Via Xinhua