Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly working behind the scenes to organize a large right-wing, pro-government rally in the Israeli capital, Jerusalem, on Thursday.
Dubbed a "million person" rally, the massive demonstration is intended to serve as a counterweight to the many recent anti-government and anti-judicial reform demonstrations across the Jewish state. Critics argue that, if implemented, the judicial overhaul would weaken Israeli democracy by undermining its vital institutions, including an independent judiciary.
While the Israeli premier is backing the upcoming demonstration on Thursday, he is reportedly not expected to appear at the event, nor deliver a speech to the crowd.
While the pro-government rally organizers claim that Netanyahu's lack of attendance is due to "security reasons," sources close to the prime minister say he does not want the rally to develop into explicit advocacy for his political leadership.
In addition to right-wing activists, the pro-government rally also seeks to attract a large number of ultra-Orthodox religious Haredi Jews, some of whom currently hold positions of leadership in Netanyahu's government.
Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin, one of the driving forces behind the controversial judicial reforms, urged pro-government supporters "to stand between the Knesset building and the Supreme Court building and say with unprecedented force: The people demand legal reform. The mandate received by the right-wing government must be realized."
In a recent interview with CBS News in the U.S., Netanyahu stressed the need for compromise in the judicial reform controversy and vowed to prevent a "blanket overhaul" of the High Court's decisions under his leadership.
This article originally appeared on All Israel News and is reposted with permission.