Israelis protest judicial overhaul plans for 7th week

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Tens of thousands of Israelis are marching in several cities against judicial overhaul plans proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The min demonstration took place in the central city of Tel Aviv Saturday, part of a weekly protest campaign that has kicked off since justice minister announced the proposed changes in January. Netanyahu and his supporters say the changes are needed to rein in a judiciary that wields too much power. Critics say the overhauls would weaken Israel’s Supreme Court and damage the country’s fragile system of democratic checks and balances. On Sunday, Israel’s president urged Netanyahu to seek a compromise with his political opponents and delay the contentious overhaul plans, but the government launched them officially on Monday.