Jerusalem: On Friday, thousands of Israelis participated in a march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the latest show of opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge to push through a contentious reform of the legal system.

As more Israelis joined the 70-kilometer march throughout the day to protest one of Israel's most far-right governments in history, the protesters grew from a few hundred to thousands.

Before traveling to Israel's parliament on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, the protesters intended to camp out at Shoresh, about 18 kilometers from Jerusalem.

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The protest takes place a day after Netanyahu vowed to move forward with the plan, defying protesters, growing military reservist dissatisfaction, and US President Joe Biden's requests to put the plan on hold.

The event, according to Ronen Rosenblatt, 58, a high-tech worker who joined the march after becoming frustrated with Netanyahu's administration for months, was joyful with participants united behind the goal of "stopping this stupidity, this dictatorship."
Israeli flags and political signs were carried by protesters in a four-kilometer line that snaked through farmland and olive groves. On Thursday, they had left the seaside city of Tel Aviv and camped close to the Latrun Monastery about halfway to Jerusalem.
The protesters dismantled their tents while others prayed with their arms covered in tefillin on Friday after rising to share meals and coffee. Then, they all started marching once more toward Jerusalem and the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

A bill that would limit the Supreme Court's authority to overturn judgments it finds to be "unreasonable" is scheduled for a vote by lawmakers on Monday. The standard is intended to serve as a safeguard against corruption and improper appointments of people who are not qualified.

The bill is one of several essential components of the Netanyahu administration's plan to overhaul the judiciary. The plan, according to Netanyahu and his allies, a group of ultranationalist and ultraOrthodox parties, is necessary to rein in what they believe are the excessive powers of unelected judges.

According to critics, the legislation will weaken the nation's system of checks and balances by consolidating power in the hands of Netanyahu and his far-right allies. Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, is also alleged to have a conflict of interest.

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Israelis are bitterly divided over the proposal, which has prompted Vice President Biden to call on Netanyahu to build broad national consensus prior to passing legislation.

The plan for a judicial overhaul was unveiled soon after Netanyahu became prime minister following the parliamentary elections in November. Israel held its fifth election in less than four years, and each one was a vote on his leadership.

Major Israeli university presidents announced that they would strike on Sunday in opposition to the bill, according to local media. In opposition to the overhaul, which they claimed would devastate the healthcare system by giving politicians more control over public health, doctors went on a two-hour "warning strike" on Wednesday.

If the bill is passed, they promised to take more drastic measures.