Now in their 30th week, thousands-strong protests rage on against Israeli cabinet’s policies
Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets across the occupied territories for the 30th straight week against hugely unpopular policies spearheaded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right cabinet.
While the regime's authorities did not give an official figure on the number of protesters, the regime's Channel 13 estimated that more than 170,000 demonstrators turned out in Saturday's protests in the coastal city of Tel Aviv alone.
Protests were reported in other locations from the city of Haifa in the northern part of the occupied territories to Eilat on the Red Sea coast, with protesters beating drums and blaring horns.
Public outrage against the regime's policies has grown since Monday, when Israel's Knesset passed the first bill of Netanyahu's controversial judicial overhaul plan after opposition lawmakers left the session. The bill scraps the "reasonableness" law, through which the regime's Supreme Court can overturn decisions made by Israeli cabinet such as ministerial appointments.
Political groups have appealed to the court to strike down the new law, with the court responding that it would hear arguments in September, setting the scene for a new political showdown.
If the plan is passed in its entirety, it will hand Israeli cabinet a greater say in the appointment of the court's judges, while downgrading the status of the legal advisers who are attached to ministers.
The cabinet's determination to railroad the Knesset into approving the scheme has sent ripples throughout the Israeli society.
Israeli medics have responded with a walkout and trade unions, which have already staged several strikes in protest against the plan, are mulling further industrial action.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of army reservists have also been threatening not to report for duty, and scores of military veterans have vowed to end their volunteer duties, sparking concerns about the occupying regime's war-readiness.
The premier alleges that the scheme is needed to redraw the balance of power between the politicians and the judiciary.
Opponents accuse Netanyahu of trying his hand at a power grab. They say the prime minister, who is on trial on several counts of corruption charges, is also attempting to use the scheme to quash possible judgments against him.
"I'm very scared of what's happening in Israel now and I'm very worried about the future...," said a demonstrator in Tel Aviv.
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