7 million Israelis demonstrated against judicial overhaul: Police chief

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Nearly seven million Israelis have demonstrated against government plans for judicial overhaul since January, according to the police commissioner on Monday.

The Israeli protesters have "gathered at 4,400 locations across the country,” Kobi Shabtai said in statements during an event at the Israeli Bar Association as cited by Haaretz newspaper.

Thousands of Israelis stage weekly protests every Saturday to show opposition to the planned judicial reform by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Organizers say that the protests are staged at some 155 locations.

The planned overhaul includes reducing the power of Israel’s Supreme Court and giving the government more control over judicial appointments.

Netanyahu initially postponed the reform on March 27 due to the opposition protests, but revived the plans again late May.

The Israeli opposition views the judicial overhaul as a power grab in favor of executive authority. Netanyahu, however, insists that the reform would enhance democracy and restore the balance among the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar