JERUSALEM, July 19 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Israeli reservists marched in Tel Aviv on Wednesday threatening to refuse their volunteer service if the government presses ahead with its controversial plan to curb the power of the Supreme Court. Protests have intensified as ratification nears, while one cabinet minister said the government could rethink its polarising drive to overhaul the judiciary if protests escalate. Soldiers who refuse to report for volunteer service are not in violation of military or civil law and thus cannot be punished. Some reservists have made clear that if Israel entered a state of emergency, they would report for emergency call-ups. Israeli Military Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, during an air force base visit on Wednesday, called the volunteer system critical, adding: "The calls for non-reporting hurt."

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Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ron Scherf, it's, Israel, Staff Herzi Halevi, Emily Rose, Alexandra Hudson, James Mackenzie, Susan Heavey, Alex Richardson Organizations: Special Forces, General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, Reuters, Staff, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, United States