Photos: Massive protests erupt in Israel as it faces ‘an abyss’

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets of cities across the country in a spontaneous outburst of anger after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister for defying the Israeli leader’s plan for judicial changes.

Protesters in Tel Aviv blocked a main highway and lit large bonfires as police scuffled with protesters who gathered outside Netanyahu’s private home in Jerusalem on Sunday night.

The unrest deepened a months-long crisis over Netanyahu’s plan to change the powers of the judiciary, sparking mass protests, alarming business leaders and former security chiefs, and raising concerns in the United States and other close allies.

Netanyahu’s removal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant indicated that the prime minister was unwilling to listen to members of his own party. Gallant had been the first senior member of the ruling Likud party to speak out against the plan, saying deep divisions threatened to weaken the armed forces.

As crowds of protesters flooded the streets late into the night, Likud ministers seemed more willing to slam on the brakes. Culture Minister Micky Zohar, a Netanyahu confidant, said the party would support him if he decided to stop the legislation.

Netanyahu on Monday postponed a public statement in which he was expected to halt the legislation after a coalition ally urged him not to back down, Channel 12 TV reported.

The head of Israel’s largest union group said he would launch a general strike. The decision by the Histadrut, which represents more than 700,000 workers in numerous sectors, from banks to transportation and healthcare workers, could cripple much of Israel’s economy.

Arnon Bar-David, the group’s leader, said he made the decision to pull Israel back from “an abyss.”