Israeli President Hopes to Avert Constitutional Crisis Amid Judicial Reform Row

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday that he seeks to avert an impending constitutional crisis in the country that could be brought about by the controversial judiciary system reform unveiled by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

On January 4, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin rolled out a legal reform package that would limit the authority of the High Court of Justice and give the cabinet control over the selection of new judges. The planned overhaul sparked public criticism and prompted a wave of protests.

According to the president's statement, Israel is now "in the grips of a profound disagreement" that threatens to divide the nation.

"I respect the criticism toward me, but I am now focused on two critical roles that I believe I bear as President at this hour: averting a historic constitutional crisis and stopping the continued rift within our nation," Herzog said in a statement.

Herzog called the justice system one of the "foundations of Israel democracy," stressing the importance of seeking this branch of the government safe from any political intrusion.

"Over the past week, I have been working full time, by every means, making nonstop efforts with the relevant parties, with the aim of creating wide-reaching, attentive, and respectful discussion and dialogue, which I hope will yield results," the president said, admitting that he was not certain of the success of his endeavor.

On Saturday, around 80,000 Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest the contested judicial reform plan. A similar rally last week was attended by over 10,000 people.

Israel's new government, led by Netanyahu, was sworn in before the country's parliament on December 29.