Protest against judicial reforms rages on in Israel for 18 weeks

Tel Aviv: Tens of thousands of Israelis participated in protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's highly contested proposals to impose restrictions on the Supreme Court on Saturday around the nation.

The proposed changes, which would allow parliament to override numerous judgements and give the government authority over Supreme Court judge's appointment, were put on hold after opponents organised some of the largest street demonstrations ever witnessed in Israel, which are now in their 18th week, Reuters reported.

The modification is required, according to the administration, to restore the balance between the judiciary and elected lawmakers after activist judges are accused of increasingly usurping the function of parliament.

According to critics, it will eliminate crucial checks and balances that support a democratic state and give the executive branch unrestricted power.

According to a poll aired by Israeli public television on Friday, 74 per cent of Israelis believe the government is not functioning well five months into the term of the far-right coalition.

In a show of resistance against proposals that they view as an existential danger to Israeli democracy, crowds gathered in the centre of Tel Aviv on Saturday.

According to Israel's Channel 12, there were protests nationwide, with 110,000 people demonstrating in Tel Aviv alone.

“I’m very worried for my country,” protester Bental Shamir, a 60-year-old teacher said in Tel Aviv. “I don’t want a corrupted country.”

The proposed overhaul has been delayed in an effort to give Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who serves in a mostly ceremonial capacity, time to mediate a compromise between the coalition and opposition that may see the legislation softened. However, compromise talks have not yielded results thus far.

“I’m sure that we are closer than we can imagine,” lawyer Dor Lasker, 35, told Reuters regarding the compromise talks. “I’m positive that it could happen.”

Israeli flags in blue and white were waved by protesters, which have become a defining feature of the demonstrations over the past three months.

According to a statement from the Israeli president's office, King Charles III greeted Herzog during the coronation ceremony in London and praised him for his mediation efforts.