Israel protests resume but Netanyahu defends reforms as 'minor correction'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to minimise his hard-right government's judicial reform package in interviews with US media, calling it a "minor correction" while dismissing international and domestic criticism.

"It's described as the end of Israeli democracy -- I think that's silly and when the dust settles, everybody will see it," Netanyahu told ABC on Thursday night.

He described the changes, which shift some power from the Middle Eastern country's judicial system to its elected officials, as an effort to "bring the pendulum to the middle".

"We have to correct it, and that's what we just did. It's a minor correction," he said, repeating the sentiments in a separate interview on CNN.

On Monday, Netanyahu and his coalition allies pushed through a bill in parliament which opponents say opens the way to a more authoritarian government by limiting the "reasonableness" clause used by the Supreme Court to overturn government decisions which the judges deem unconstitutional.

His comments came in the backdrop of thousands of Israelis taking to the streets in nearly daily protests against the reforms, which have also garnered sharp international pushback, including from US President Joe Biden.

Netanyahu reiterated Thursday that Biden "in the last conversation we had invited me to the White House in the fall -- I think it's in September."

However, Biden's office on Thursday again declined to specify whether the two leaders' meeting would happen at the White House or elsewhere, with spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre saying, "they both agreed to meet in the US later this year."Thousands of Israelis have returned to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest against parliament's approval of a key component in the hard-right government's controversial judicial reform package.

Waving Israeli flags and chanting "Democracy, Democracy!" protesters rallied on Thursday evening in Tel Aviv, the epicentre of the demonstrations since the judicial overhaul package was first unveiled in January.

The controversial reforms have split the nation and triggered one of the biggest protest movements in Israel's history.

Dozens arrested

On Monday, lawmakers passed the bill with 64 votes in the 120-seat chamber after opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote, chanting "shame, shame".

Netanyahu's coalition government, which includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, argues that the proposed changes are needed to ensure a better balance of power between elected officials and the courts.

Protesters had demonstrated late into the night after the vote on Monday, and police had to use water cannon and mounted officers to disperse them. Dozens of protesters were also arrested.

'Reasonableness'

An amendment to the "reasonableness" clause is the first major component of the reform package to become law.

Other proposed changes include allowing the government a greater say in the appointment of judges.

Critics accuse Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption on charges that he denies, of trying to use the reforms to crush possible judgments against him. He rejects the accusation.

The "reasonableness" clause was most recently cited by Israel's top court to force Netanyahu to remove an ultra-Orthodox cabinet member over a previous tax evasion conviction.

The protests have drawn support from across the political spectrum and among secular and religious groups, blue-collar and tech sector workers, peace activists and military reservists.