Israeli protests of legal overhaul show no signs of slowing

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli demonstrations against the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary continued on Saturday, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to pause the contentious proposals.

Tens of thousands of people participated in the main protest held in the central city of Tel Aviv, while smaller demonstrations took place across the country.

Protest organizers, who have held these weekly protests for over three months, aim to maintain momentum and increase pressure on Netanyahu and his government until the proposed changes are scrapped.

Bending to the mass protests, Netanyahu paused the overhaul plans in March, saying he wanted “to avoid civil war.”

The plan would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his allies in Israel’s most hard-line government the final say in appointing the nation’s judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court’s ability to review laws.

Opponents say it will destroy a system of checks and balances by concentrating power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies in parliament. They also say that Netanyahu has a conflict of interest at a time when he is on trial.

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