Israeli president urges immediate stop to judicial overhaul as protests flare

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday called for an immediate halt to the government's controversial judicial overhauls, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his defence minister for similar demands and mass protests were held across Israel.

Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial post, made the call following spontaneous demonstrations in Tel Aviv overnight in response to Yoav Gallant's dismissal.

"For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of the necessary responsibility, I call on you to halt the legislative process immediately," Herzog said in a statement.

On Sunday, moments after Netanyahu sacked Galant, demonstrators seized a central highway cutting through the coastal city of Tel Aviv, blocking traffic and burning tyres.

Some threw metal barricades at mounted offices while police deployed water cannon.

The large crowd waved national flags, blew airhorns and chanted in Hebrew: "Israel is not a dictatorship" and "No to a fascist government!"

"Last night we witnessed very difficult scenes," Herzog said.

"The entire nation is rapt with deep worry," he added, in an appeal to the government. "Our security, economy, society - all are under threat."

After months of rallies against the reform, including a weekend demonstration that brought out an estimated 200,000 people in Tel Aviv, protesters in the city said it felt like "a sort of climax".

In Jerusalem, demonstrators gathered Sunday outside the prime minister's residence, while other rallies took place in the northern city of Haifa and Beer Sheva in the south.

Protesters have announced a "national paralysis week", including protests outside ministers' homes and parliament.

The United States said it was "deeply concerned" and called on Israeli leaders to reach a compromise.

Israel's opposition and members of the military have decried the government's plan to appoint high court judges, which it says will push the country into a dictatorship, while Palestinians, already deprived of the same rights as Jewish Israelis, say it will worsen their situation.