Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday vowed to press ahead with his contentious judicial overhaul, despite unprecedented mass protests at home, growing defections by military reservists and appeals from the U.S. president to put the plan on hold.
Netanyahu's message, delivered in a prime time address on national television, set the stage for stepped-up street protests in the coming days leading up to a fateful vote expected Monday. After Netanyahu's speech, protesters blocked Tel Aviv's main highway for several hours, lighting bonfires and clashing with the police. Hundreds of others continued a roughly 70 kilometer march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Critics say the legislation will concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his far-right allies and undermine the country's system of checks and balance. They also say Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, has a conflict of interest. Perhaps the biggest threat to the plan are growing calls by military reservists who say they will stop reporting for duty in key units. They include fighter pilots, commandos and cyberwar officers.
"If they succeed in dictating their threats, this is the end of genuine democracy," he said. "A responsible government and a responsible state cannot tolerate this."
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