Mass protests are sparked when the Israeli prime minister removes the defence minister

After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of his defence minister, tens of thousands of Israelis have turned to the streets.

Yoav Gallant had spoken out against divisive proposals to reform the legal system. Police and troops in Jerusalem used water cannons to disperse protesters in the vicinity of Mr. Netanyahu’s home.

Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, urged the administration to put an end to the reforms early on Monday. He posted on Twitter, saying, “The eyes of all the people of Israel are on you.” I call on you to stop the legislative process immediately for the sake of the unity of the people of Israel and for the sake of duty. Also, the US expressed its grave concern over the developments and advocated for a settlement.

According to Mr. Netanyahu, the reforms were approved by the electorate at the most recent election and are intended to prevent the courts from abusing their authority. After demonstrating in front of Mr. Netanyahu’s house, the protesters made their way to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, dodging police as many waved Israeli flags and banged pots and pans.

Flag-waving demonstrators in Tel Aviv blocked a major road for more than two hours before being driven off by mounted police and water cannon.

Mr. Gallant, a veteran soldier, has been hearing complaints from reservists about the potential rule change for weeks. Fighter pilots in an elite squadron of the Israeli Air Force made the uncommon decision to skip training in early March as a form of protest against the leadership.

On Saturday, Mr. Gallant came out against the law, claiming that the Israeli Defence Forces were upset and enraged.

Mr. Netanyahu, who was abroad when Mr. Gallant appeared on television, declared that he no longer had confidence in him to serve as defence minister.

The new legislation must be approved by the parliament by the end of the week, according to the prime minister.

The two lawmakers are affiliated with the same political party, the Likud, and while the defence minister received support from some party members, the far-right demanded his resignation.

Democratic ideals have always been, and must be, a cornerstone of the US-Israel partnership, according to a White House spokeswoman who expressed American worries about the circumstance.

In a democratic system, she stressed, “major changes” should be “followed with the largest basis of popular support.”