"We cannot allow a disagreement, no matter how strong, to jeopardize our common future," Netanyahu said. "The opponents of the reform are not traitors, the proponents are not fascists." He wants to do everything "to calm the spirits and end the division of the people".

The far-right governing coalition's controversial plans aim to drastically limit the powers of the judiciary. Critics fear that the separation of powers will be abolished and that democracy will be undermined. There have been mass protests against the project in Israel for eleven weeks. On Thursday, tens of thousands of Israelis again demonstrated against the government's plans in several cities across the country. There were again clashes between demonstrators and security forces, and in Tel Aviv the police used water cannons.