Israelis step up protests over government’s legal overhaul

By TIA GOLDENBERG
Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israelis are stepping up their protests against a contentious government plan to overhaul the judicial system. Large demonstrations and road closures took place Wednesday in what protest leaders have dubbed a “national day of disruption.” A central protest was expected later in Jerusalem. The demonstrations come as the government barrels ahead with a parliamentary vote on a bill that would weaken the Supreme Court. The rival sides are digging in, deepening one of Israel’s worst domestic crises. The legal overhaul has sparked an unprecedented uproar, with weeks of mass protests, criticism from legal experts, business leaders and the security establishment — as well as concern from international allies.