New protests on the streets of Israel on Tuesday

(Patria) - Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv and other cities on Saturday to protest proposed legal reforms that they say could mean more authoritarian rule, AFP reported.

The demonstrators have maintained pressure with weekly rallies against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, who returned to power in December at the head of a coalition with ultra-Orthodox Jewish and far-right allies.

Israeli media estimated the turnout at Saturday's protest in Tel Aviv, the 27th since the reform plan was presented in January, at 150,000 people, ahead of a vote in parliament on Monday on a key provision of the proposed overhaul.

"We must act against what Netanyahu's government is doing to our country and the Israeli dream," historian Yuval Noah Harari told the rally.

"If Netanyahu's government does not stop, they will soon find out what happens when we get angry," he said.

The government claims that judicial reform, which would give politicians more power over the courts, is necessary to ensure a better balance of power. After failed talks with the opposition after Netanyahu announced a "pause" at the end of March to allow for negotiations, the government is resuming the offensive this week.

On Monday, the first reading of the bill aimed at excluding the judiciary's right to decide on the "reasonableness" of government decisions will be held.

Organizers have announced protests for Tuesday.