Thousands protest Netanyahu’s 'reforms' for 15th straight week, as Moody’s lowers Israel's outlook

Tens of thousands of protesters have held fresh rallies across the occupied Palestinian territories for the 15th straight week against the Israeli extremist cabinet's 'judicial reforms', which have prompted the financial ratings agency Moody's to cut the regime's credit outlook.

A mass rally was held in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on Saturday as the cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presses on with the reforms that seek to render the regime's Supreme Court powerless in the face of decisions made by politicians.

"We are all tired and I didn't want to come today, but my sister told me: 'We don't have a choice' and it's true, we don't have a choice, we can't let our guard down...," said one protester.

Protesters in Tel Aviv and other cities waved flags while banging drums and blaring horns.

More rallies were held elsewhere, including in the holy occupied city of al-Quds, the northern port city of Haifa and outside the home of Justice Minister Yariv Levin in Modiin.

The rallies have been a weekly fixture since January, when the regime announced the reforms that also seek to give Netanyahu's extremist cabinet effective control over the appointment of the Supreme Court's judges.

Netanyahu paused the reforms last month, which were receiving approval at the Knesset, as protests showed no sign of abating and were even compounded by a wave of strikes.

Israel pres. calls for ‘immediate stop’ to judicial reforms as Netanyahu 'backs down'

Israeli president Isaac Herzog calls on prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to back down on the so-called judicial reforms.

The protests on Saturday came a day after credit ratings agency Moody's announced it has downgraded the Israeli regime's credit outlook to "stable" from "positive."

Moody's, summing up the months of turmoil since Netanyahu returned to power late last year at the head of a religious-nationalist coalition, said the regime's institutions were less predictable given the cabinet's handling of events.

It said the change in Israel's outlook "reflects a deterioration of Israel's governance, as illustrated by the recent events" around the Israeli cabinet's "proposal for overhauling the country's judiciary."

The agency added that while mass protests have led the regime's cabinet to pause the legislation and seek dialogue with the opposition, "the manner in which it has attempted to implement a wide-ranging reform without seeking broad consensus points to a weakening of institutional strength and policy predictability." 

Israel's central bank and senior finance ministry officials have warned that the judicial overhaul might impact investor sentiment and hurt the economy.

Critics of Netanyahu's overhaul plan, who range from the business elite to former military officers, say the plan will hand uncontrolled powers to the regime's far-right cabinet.

Netanyahu, who is on trial on graft charges he denies, claims the changes are needed to rein in activist judges who have interfered in political decision making.

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