Israelis march to Jerusalem to protest against Netanyahu's curbing of judicial powers

Politicians are expected to vote on bill to curtail Israeli Supreme Court's authority on Monday

Demonstrators march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in protesting against the Israeli government's judicial overhaul plans. Reuters

Thousands of Israelis marched from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Friday, in protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to press ahead with disputed changes to the country's judiciary.

What initially began as hundreds of protesters grew as more people joined the 70km march throughout the day in a show of opposition to the most right-wing government in the country's history.

The demonstrators planned to camp overnight at Shoresh, about 18km from Jerusalem, before making their way to Israel’s parliament on Saturday, the Jewish holy day of Shabbat.

The march comes a day after Mr Netanyahu vowed to push through the proposed changes, defying demonstrations and growing defections by military reservists, as well as appeals by US President Joe Biden to put the plan on hold.

Ronen Rosenblatt, 58, a tech worker who joined the march following months of frustration with Mr Netanyahu's government, said people were united behind a common objective of “stopping this stupidity, this dictatorship”.

Protesters carried Israelis flags and placards in a 4km line that wound through olive orchards and farmland. They had left seaside Tel Aviv on Thursday, camping overnight roughly halfway to Jerusalem near the Latrun Monastery.

The protesters rose on Friday to share meals and coffee before dismantling their tents, as others prayed, before they all began marching again towards Jerusalem and the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Politicians are expected to vote on Monday on a bill that would curtail the Supreme Court’s oversight powers by limiting its ability to strike down decisions it deems “unreasonable”.

The court's discretionary power is meant as a safeguard to protect against corruption and improper appointments of unqualified people.

The bill is one of several keystone pieces of the Netanyahu government’s disputed judiciary reform plan.

The Prime Minister and his allies — a collection of ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties — say the changes needed to curb what they consider excessive powers of unelected judges.

Critics say the legislation will concentrate power in the hands of Mr Netanyahu and undermine the country’s system of checks and balance.

They also say Mr Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, has a conflict of interest.

The proposal has bitterly divided the Israeli public and drawn appeals from Mr Biden for Mr Netanyahu to forge a broad national consensus before passing any legislation.

The disputed reform plans were announced shortly after Mr Netanyahu took office as Prime Minister, following November’s parliamentary elections. It was Israel’s fifth election in under four years, with all of the votes serving as a referendum on his leadership.

Presidents of major Israeli universities said they would hold a strike Sunday to protest the bill, local media reported.

Doctors held a two-hour “warning strike” on Wednesday to protest the overhaul, which they said would wreak havoc on the healthcare system by granting politicians greater control over public health.

They vowed more severe measures if the bill is voted through.