Israeli Protests Escalate Amidst Judicial Overhaul and Constitutional Chaos

Tens of thousands of protesters in Israel blocked highways and train stations and gathered in central Tel Aviv to demonstrate against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan. The protests, now in their seventh month, have intensified as Netanyahu and his allies in parliament push ahead with the plan. The first bill in the package, which seeks to limit the Supreme Court's oversight powers, could become law as soon as next week. The protests have cast a shadow over President Isaac Herzog's visit to the White House, as he tries to broker a compromise between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden. The protesters, largely members of Israel's secular middle class, fear that the government's plan will curtail their way of life and the country's liberal traditions.