JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Tens of hundreds of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday for a fifth week of protests towards judicial overhaul plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new authorities which critics say threaten democratic checks on ministers by the courts.

The plans, which the federal government says are wanted to curb overreach by judges, have drawn fierce opposition from teams together with attorneys, and raised considerations amongst enterprise leaders, widening already deep political divisions in Israeli society.

“We (are) …right here so as to display towards the federal government of Israel below Netanyahu, which in our perception is towards democracy and are going to do something they’ll so as to take out democracy of Israel,” mentioned Illan Bendori, 70, at a protest in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu has dismissed the protests as a refusal by leftist opponents to just accept the outcomes of final November’s election, which produced probably the most right-wing governments in Israel’s historical past.

“We’re …very pleased with our democracy and he needs to make Israel one thing else. We is not going to agree, we are going to do all the things in our energy to cease it,” Hadar Weis, 61, informed Reuters on the protest in Tel Aviv.

The protesters say Israeli democracy could be undermined if the federal government succeeds in pushing by the plans, which might tighten political management over judicial appointments and restrict the Supreme Courtroom’s powers to overturn authorities selections or Knesset legal guidelines.

Further protests and partial strikes are referred to as for Monday when a primary studying of the proposals is ready to happen within the parliament.

Israel’s N12 information launched a ballot on Saturday revealing that 62% of Israelis need the proposed judicial plans to be both paused or halted all collectively.