Israel: The Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu has accused protesters of “trampling democracy,” pledging that his far-right coalition will move ahead with controversial legislation to restrict the power of the judiciary.

The legislative changes would probably help the Prime Minister avoid prosecution in his ongoing corruption trial, in which he denies all charges.

In a meeting with parliamentary members of his conservative Likud party, Mr. Netanyahu condemned the movement’s leadership for “threatening us with civil war and blood in the streets.”

Despite the mass protests, the Prime Minister observed that his government will first plow on the votes slated in the Knesset and “speak tomorrow.”

Mr. Netanyahu accused the protest organisers of “not accepting the majority’s decision” and for failing to “condemn calls for the assassination of the Prime Minister and his family members.”

Referring to protesters obstructing lawmaker Tally Gotliv from reaching the Knesset, the Prime Minister stated that “there is room for discussion, but there is no room for bullying,” and claimed that there are “quite a few senior opposition lawmakers, more than you think, who agree to hold talks, but they are afraid of the thugs in their camp.”

Mr. Netanyahu’s planned judicial changes have been met with some of the biggest protests Israel has ever seen in the two months since he returned to office.

Protests that began in Tel Aviv recently have spread across the country, culminating in strikes and marches outside the Knesset for two consecutive weeks held at the same time the legislation is on the parliamentary agenda.

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