Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed the importance of an “independent judiciary” on a visit to Israel on Thursday, as thousands took to the streets across the country to protest against government proposals to overhaul the legal system.Austin, whose schedule was rearranged to keep his engagements close to Israel’s main international airport, told a news conference that both countries “shared values of democracy and freedom and the rule of law.”“As President Biden has said, the genius of democracy, of American democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, and on an independent judiciary,” he said after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant.