Israeli Women Form Human Chains to Protest Judicial Reforms

Thousands of Israeli women marked International Women's Day on Wednesday by forming human chains across the country to protest controversial proposals for judicial reform.

Israel's right-wing government continues to cling to proposals to give politicians more power over the judiciary, despite strong and sometimes violent protests from a section of the population.

According to Israeli media reports, the first phase of the judicial reforms is expected to be quickly approved in April.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose coalition government includes religious parties, proposed giving parliament the power to overturn the country's Supreme Court decisions, by a simple majority.

The proposal would also give politicians more influence in appointing judges and would support Netanyahu, who has long faced corruption allegations.

The protesting women express their fears that Israel will turn into a repressive dictatorial government because of the weakening of the judiciary with reform proposals.

More mass protests are expected today, Thursday, across Israel, and protest plans call for closing roads leading to Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv.

The demonstrators hope to prevent Netanyahu from traveling to Italy, although local media reports say he plans to fly to the airport by helicopter to avoid protesters' roadblocks.