Israelis stage massive judicial protests in shadow of attacks

STORY: In central Tel Aviv, the demonstration began with a prayer for the victims of the attacks, who include two British-Israeli sisters and an Italian tourist, with drone footage later showing protesters carrying large British and Italian flags.

The weekend protests have continued over the past months, involving hundreds of thousands of demonstrators who include army reservists, business leaders, members of Israel's tech industry and leading academics, in a show of defiance against reform plans they see as an existential threat to Israeli democracy.

The proposals, which would give the government effective control over the appointment of Supreme Court judges and allow parliament to overrule many decisions of the court, were paused last month in the face of a wave of strikes and mass demonstrations that have become one of the biggest domestic crises in Israel's recent history.

The government side says the overhaul is needed to restore a proper balance between the judiciary and elected politicians, while critics say it will remove some of the vital checks and balances underpinning a democratic state and hand unchecked power to the government.