Israeli settlers marching in the tens of thousands toward Knesset
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Israeli settlers protest the judicial reform law once again by taking to the street and marching onto the Knesset to demonstrate their dissent.
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Thousands of Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system, in occupied Al-Quds, July 22, 2023 (AP)
A massive wave of protests has taken over the streets of occupied Al-Quds as tens of thousands of demonstrators participate in the so-called "march of democracy," voicing their opposition to the Israeli government's controversial judicial reform bid.
The demonstrators assembled from various locations around the country, marching onto the parliament building, known as the Knesset, to express their dissent to the adoption of the contentious judicial reform bill.
The rallies kicked off with a column of activists who congregated on the outskirts of occupied Al-Quds, initiating their march from the Chords Bridge (Bridge of Strings) toward the Knesset.
Meanwhile, as the protest gains more traction, the Israeli occupation police have closed down entry points to occupied Al-Quds amid a state of high alert among the Israeli police.
Organizers have called for demonstrations at 150 locations across occupied Palestine, with a particularly significant mass rally anticipated on Kaplan Street in the center of "Tel Aviv". Protests against the judicial reform have been taking place for 29 weeks in a row, showcasing the public outcry against the proposed changes.
Israeli media reported that around 100,000 demonstrators are protesting against the judicial reform in "Tel Aviv".
The Israeli government faces mounting pressure to address the grievances and engage in a meaningful dialogue with the public. Meanwhile, an Israeli committee in the Knesset on Thursday adopted a key clause drafted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government as part of its controversial judicial reform bill, a statement revealed amid an uptick in protests before the bill is put up for a final vote.
"With nine Knesset members supporting and seven opposing", the bill is due for second and third readings on Monday, a statement from the Knesset said.
US President Joe Biden told The New York Times on Wednesday that Netanyahu must stop the judicial reform legislation and build a broad consensus within "Israel".
That followed talks between Biden and Netanyahu that took place on Monday, with the US leader inviting the Israeli premier to the White House, the first since the latter returned to office.
Thousands of people took to the streets in numerous settlements, with the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth reporting last week that there were as many as 100,000 settlers in "Tel Aviv" alone, and Walla! saying there were 20,000 in occupied Yafa.
Political divisions in "Israel" continue to deepen between the government and the opposition. "Israel" has witnessed several protests by thousands of settlers against the occupation's government in which demonstrators express their opposition to the judicial reforms it plans to enact.
The opposition has demanded the complete cancellation of these amendments despite the government's decision to temporarily suspend them.
The protests, which began in December last year, saw the participation of tens of thousands of settlers and later transformed into massive demonstrations where around a quarter of a million settlers took to the streets against Netanyahu's plans that set to undermine occupation courts and further empower security and military institutions.
