good monday morning to you. i m jim sciutto. hi jim. great to be with you. i m jessica dean and happening right now. massive protests in israel, a crippling general strike and several mayors launching a hunger strike after prime minister benjamin netanyahu fired his defense minister for opposing his plans to overhaul the judicial system . this as many israelis fear the united states closest ally in the region is moving further away from democratic principles. ahead we will have the very latest from jerusalem remarkable events there in israel plus today and though the round of were severe weather expected to strike the southeast of this country, parts of alabama and georgia, bracing for large, hail , damaging winds this after just devastating tornadoes ripped through the region this weekend . at least 26 people are dead, several others injured. we re going to take you live to see scenes of that damage. we do begin this hour, though. with those protests the ongoing general stri
state department to had asked first for the latest from inside those protests at us jim jessica , protesters continued to stream into jerusalem towards assume supreme court and the israeli parliament as israel has essentially ground to a halt today as part of the largest strike ever called in israeli history, the largest labor union union calling for a general strike everything from the malls to mcdonalds have shut down even the airport, even planes taking off for the airport for several hours completely halted as part of the strike. some of the major israeli ports in haifa and stood there. workers are also striking . we re also hearing from nurses striking never before in israeli history, has there been such a massive general strike and it s all about this massive judicial overhaul. now the latest drama over this overhaul started on saturday evening when the israeli defense minister, you dare to make a speech calling for the reform. to be halted for the legislation to be halted.