ISRAEL’S far-right coalition government pushed ahead today with plans to curb the judiciary’s powers despite a wave of mass protests expected this week.

A parliamentary committee was preparing legislation to limit court oversight of some government decisions, a move that has sparked intensifying criticism from elite reserve military units, including the air force and cyberwarfare.

Many have warned that they will not turn up for duty if the plans go ahead.

Reservists played a key role in prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause his attack on the judiciary earlier this year — since he needs a united military to pursue the government’s continued offensive against the Palestinians, along with industrial action that grounded international flights.

In response to the Bill, which is expected to go before a final parliamentary vote early next week, a large protest movement is expected to stage a “day of disruption” tomorrow.

Previous days of mass protest have stopped traffic, choked the terminal at Israel’s main international airport and led to clashes between police and demonstrators.

The bid to limit judicial powers, advanced by Mr Netanyahu’s nationalist and religious government, has plunged the country into one of its worst internal crises.

It has even sparked concern from its closest ally, the United States, which usually remains silent on Tel Aviv’s illegal and inhumane activities.

The government claims that the plan is neeed to rein in an overly interventionist judicial system and restore power to elected officials.

But critics say the plan would upend Israel’s delicate system of checks and balances and push the country toward autocracy.

They also accuse Mr Netanyahu of having a conflict of interest, since his is attacking the justice system while he is on trial for corruption charges.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting today, Mr Netanyahu defended the Bill, which he said would prevent Israel’s courts from scrutinising the “reasonability” of elected officials’ decisionss.

The “reasonability standard” allows the court to review key government decisions in order to protect against improper appointments and potential corruption.

It was used by the Supreme Court earlier this year to strike down the appointment of a Netanyahu ally as interior minister over a past conviction for bribery and a 2021 plea deal for tax evasion.

The government says the standard is arbitrary and overused by the courts.