Massive anti government protest in Tel Aviv

Former Israeli prime minister Yair Lapid joined tens of thousands of protesters in Tel Aviv, as frustration mounts over a raft of controversial moves by the new administration.

"People who love the state came to defend its democracy, its courts, the idea of a common life and a common good," Lapid tweeted, vowing to "not give up until we win."

Demonstration was the largest so far since Lapid's successor Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power last month at the head of the most right-wing government in the country's history.

Some 100,000 protesters turned out in central Tel Aviv, according to Israeli media estimates, filling the streets with blue and white national flags.

The Tel Aviv demonstration also drew opponents to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, as many government ministers are ardent supporters of settlement expansion across the West Bank.

The already tense relations between the government and the judiciary were dealt a further blow this week, when Israel's highest court ruled a top minister must step down due to a recent tax evasion conviction.

Netanyahu slammed the court's decision but is yet to announce any concrete steps.

Netanyahu refused to step down in 2019 when he became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be indicted while in office.

He lost the premiership following elections in 2021, only to return to power after November polls with the backing of extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies.