Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Wednesday that whoever thinks that "civil war is a limit we will not reach, he does not understand," considering that internal strife is a "red line."
In a speech in which he presented the "People's Plan," a proposal for a revised plan to reform the judiciary, Herzog said in a speech broadcast live on his Facebook page: "The past few weeks have torn us apart, damaged Israel's economy, security, society, Israel's political relations and, most importantly, Israeli cohesion."
"I heard horrific speech, real horrific hatred, people on both sides, they are no longer shocked by the blood in the streets," he said.
"I will use an expression that I have not used yet, which is that there is no Israeli who is not terrified of him: Whoever thinks that a real civil war is a limit that we will not reach, he does not understand."
"Civil war is a red line, and I will not allow it to break out at any cost," Herzog said.
Regarding the judicial reform plan, he said, "A fundamental and profound change in the relationship between government authorities must be made in a deliberate and logical manner, and ensure that it brings blessing and goodness to the widest possible common denominator."
"I believe that today we are facing a historic opportunity for a balanced, prudent and agreed constitutional arrangement of relations between the authorities in our Jewish and democratic country," he said.
Herzog's Plan
He noted that his plan "strengthens the Knesset (parliament), the government and the judicial system, and preserves the Jewish and democratic State of Israel," adding, "This is not a political concession on this or that item, all parties in this public debate have a duty to understand the importance of timing, the state must not be destroyed."
Herzog's own plan, devised without consultations with the ruling coalition or the opposition, seeks to find a compromise amid nationwide unrest over the government's plan to weaken the judiciary.
The plan included not giving the government coalition a majority in the committee for appointing judges, as the committee will have 11 members, including only 5 for the coalition, according to the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
The plan also included a vote in the Knesset on the enactment of a "Basic Law" as a constitution in 4 readings instead of 3, with a majority of 80 votes out of 120 deputies, instead of 61.
The Israeli president, whose position is largely ceremonial, has held talks in recent weeks to try to reach a compromise between coalition members and those who oppose judicial changes, but has not confirmed that lawmakers support his proposal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party rejected Herzog's plan, and Education Minister Yoav Kisch said on behalf of his party that "the plan includes key paragraphs that only perpetuate the status quo and do not create the necessary minimum balance of powers."
Transport Minister Miri Regev said: "The president's blueprint? The scheme apparently was written by the chief justice to Herzog. The plan takes a clear side against the people and sovereignty."