Reuters. Israelis took to the streets and main junctions across the country in protest on Tuesday morning (July 11), hours after the country's parliament has given initial approval to a bill that limits some Supreme Court power, part of a rebooted judicial overhaul by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that has set off a deep political crisis.
Protesters blocked a main road leading into Jerusalem where police made arrests in an attempt to re-open the route. Others erected tents in the entrance to the central Israeli city of Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, and set tyres on fire. In the northern Israeli city of Haifa, horse-mounted police tried to disperse protesters who waved Israeli flags and chanted.
The drive to change the justice system by Netanyahu's ruling coalition of nationalist and religious parties has sparked unprecedented protests, stirred concern for Israel's democratic health among its Western allies and bruised the economy.
The bill, that won overnight the first of three required votes for it to be written into law, seeks a curb on the Supreme Court's power to void decisions made by the government, ministers and elected officials by ruling them unreasonable. It now returns to committee for discussion and could be altered before being brought for the final votes.
Critics argue that this judicial oversight helps prevent corruption and abuses of power. Proponents say the change will facilitate effective governance by curbing court intervention.
Protest groups vowed to hold a 'Day of Disruption' on Tuesday in an attempt to halt the legislation, including road blocks across the country and a mass protest at the country's main international airport.
