Thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv against the Israeli government’s judicial reforms.
Demonstrators waving Israeli flags rallied in the country's commercial hub, keeping up the momentum of months of protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposals.
A vote to scrap the "reasonableness" law, through which the Supreme Court can overturn government decisions such as ministerial appointments, took place on Monday in the Knesset.
Protesters beating drums and blaring horns took to the streets on Saturday as Israeli MKs started their summer recess. This means the legislative process is currently on hold.
Yariv Shavit, 53, an engineer in Israel's high-tech sector, told Reuters: “We all don't see any future if this will keep on going. We are not united. We lost our unity.”
Film composer Itay Amram, added: “We still love this country and we're trying to fix all the problems."
Aerial view of protesters waving national flags and deploying banners on Saturday in Tel Aviv (Photo: Getty)
The 27-year-old said he was railing against what he saw as the government's "constitutional revolution".
"We refuse to serve a dictatorship," warned a placard held by a demonstrator in Tel Aviv.
Israel's Channel 13 estimated more than 170,000 people turned out in the city.
Critics say Netanyahu is threatening Israel's democratic principles and independence of the courts, possibly with an eye to a corruption case he himself is facing. Netanyahu denies that, and also denies the charges against him.
Political watchdog groups have also appealed to the Supreme Court to strike down the new law. The court said it would hear arguments in September, setting the scene for a constitutional battle.
Protesters lift flags and placards as they march on Saturday in Tel Aviv (Photo: Getty)
The broader reform package includes ambitions to hand the government a greater say in the appointment of judges, as well as downgrading the status of legal advisers attached to ministers.
Netanyahu has pledged openness in negotiations over future steps. However, opposition chiefs remain sceptical of talks with the government, a coalition which also includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, after earlier dialogue broke down.
