Protests against Israel’s judicial overhaul kick off at Supreme Court a day before crucial hearing

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Israeli protesters have flooded the streets outside Israel’s Supreme Court, a day before it hears a pivotal case against the curbing of the high court’s powers by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government. Beating drums, brandishing signs saying “Freedom” and “Hands off our Supreme Court!” and waving blue-and-white Israeli flags, protesters from cities nationwide streamed into Jerusalem for the mass rally against the government’s deeply contentious judicial overhaul that has triggered one of the biggest domestic crises in Israeli history. All 15 of Israel’s Supreme Court justices will appear on the bench — for the first time ever — on Tuesday to hear an appeal against the first part of the overhaul that parliament passed in July.