Jerusalem, Jul 23 (IANS): Protest against judicial reform in Israel swelled on Sunday after agitators formed a human chain from Western Wall to Knesset (Parliament), where debate is underway over the contentious bill and the rightist coalition government prepares to pass the first piece of judicial reform legislation.

The protests swept major cities across the country.The debate, which began in Sunday morning, will continue for 26 hours and likely to conclude on Monday.

During the debate, referring to the widespread judicial reform protests taking place, Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chair Simcha Rothman said: "The current situation is not democracy, and not the rule of law," Jerusalem Post reported.

Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid said: "We didn't march to declare war, but to prevent one. To tell the government, if you still have any sense of fairness, stop this."

The government is arguing that the bill will enhance democracy, while the opposition termed it to be slide toward authoritarianism.

The contentious bill is aimed at canceling some of the Supreme Court's powers, with the aim of completing the legislation before the Knesset adjourns on July 30 for its summer recess.

The planned judicial overhaul has thrown Israeli society into turmoil, with many expressing concerns and frustration about the future of Israel's judiciary under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership.

The grassroots movement has staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Israel since the 1980s, with weekly protests occurring for 28 consecutive weeks following the announcement of the overhaul plan by the ruling coalition in January.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, returned to office in December last year, leading a rightist government coalition consisting of ultranationalist and ultra-religious parties.

He is facing a criminal trial over corruption charges in three separate cases.