Thousands Protest Against Judicial Reform Across Israel

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Nearly 250,000 people have participated in nationwide protests against the Israeli government's controversial judicial reform, The Jerusalem Post reports citing the organizers of the demonstrations.

The protests were held at over 60 different locations in Israel on Saturday night - the seventh consecutive weekend of demonstrations since the reforms were proposed. In Tel Aviv alone, nearly 135,000 people took to the streets, The Jerusalem Post said.

On January 4, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin rolled out a legal reform package that would limit the authority of the Supreme Court by giving the cabinet control over the selection of new judges, as well as allowing the Knesset to override the court's rulings with an absolute majority, among other points. The planned overhaul sparked public criticism and prompted a wave of mass protests.

According to The Times of Israel, the controversial judicial reform bills will reach the Knesset plenum on Monday, February 20. Levin's office has confirmed that the government does not plan to put off the vote, despite Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s calls for a delay in the consideration of the reform, which has brought the country to "the brink of a constitutional and societal collapse," according to Herzog.