: Israelis Stage Day of Resistance to Dictatorship Over Netanyahus Plan to Weaken Courts #WorldNEWS TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli protesters on Thursday were intensifying their opposition to a contentious

Israelis Stage Day of Resistance to Dictatorship Over Netanyahus Plan to Weaken Courts #WorldNEWS
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli protesters on Thursday were intensifying their opposition to a contentious government proposal to overhaul the judiciary, with a bid to block Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus route to the airport ahead of an official trip overseas and as the U. S. defense secretary was visiting.
Demonstrators, who have been out protesting for more than two months against the overhaul, launched a “day of resistance to dictatorship” on Thursday. Protesters waving Israeli flags descended on the countrys main international airport, blocking the artery leading to the departures area with their cars. The disruption snarled traffic and it was not clear how Netanyahu would reach the airport.

Elsewhere, protesters blocked main intersections in the seaside metropolis of Tel Aviv and other cities. A small flotilla of paddleboards and kayaks tried to close off a main maritime shipping lane off the northern city of Haifa. Some protesters barricaded the Jerusalem offices of a conservative think tank helping to spearhead the judicial changes.
The uproar over Netanyahus legal overhaul has plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises. Beyond the protests, which have drawn tens of thousands of Israelis to the streets and recently became violent, opposition has surged from across society, with business leaders and legal officials speaking out against what they say will be the ruinous effects of the plan. The rift has not spared Israels military, which is seeing unprecedented opposition from within its own ranks.
Netanyahu, who took office in late December after a protracted political stalemate, and his allies say the measures aim to rein in a court that has overstepped its authority. Critics say the overhaul will upset the delicate system of checks and balances and slide Israel toward authoritarianism.
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Critics also say Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, is driven by personal grievances and that he could find an escape route from the charges through the overhaul. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing, and says the legal changes have nothing to do with his trial.
Demonstrations were underway across the country as Netanyahu and his allies have pledged to press ahead with a series of bills that would strip the Supreme Court of its ability to review legislation and give coalition politicians control over judicial appointments. An attempt by Israels ceremonial president to defuse the crisis through an alternative legal reform has so far been unsuccessful.
“Israel is on the verge of becoming an autocratic country. The current government is trying to destroy our democracy, and actually destroy the country,” said Savion Or, a protester in Tel Aviv.