US President Joe Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday to abandon judicial amendments that have sparked mass protests in Israel, prompting Netanyahu to say he does not make decisions based on pressure from abroad.
"I hope he gets his hands off him," the US president said in response to questions from reporters, referring to the amendments law that Israel's ruling coalition plans to implement.
The White House initially said Netanyahu should seek a compromise on the amendments.
Netanyahu quickly issued a statement in response to Biden's remarks, saying that Israel is "a sovereign state that makes its decisions according to the will of its people and not based on pressure from outside, including best friends."
He added that his government was striving to carry out reforms "through broad consensus". "I have known President Biden for more than 40 years and appreciate his unwavering commitment to Israel."
Netanyahu also considered that the Israeli-American alliance "is against breaking and always transcends fleeting differences."
The Israeli prime minister, who is on trial on corruption charges he denies, said his government was committed to "strengthening democracy" by restoring the proper balance between the three branches of government, stressing that he was striving to achieve this.
Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the US president had sent an "urgent alarm bell" to Israel's government, calling on Netanyahu to announce the reinstatement of Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who was sacked a day after he demanded a halt to the judicial reform law.
Netanyahu announced, last Monday, after mass demonstrations, the suspension of judicial amendments to the next parliamentary session, in order to prevent division in the nation, according to him.
For 12 weeks, tens of thousands of Israelis have been demonstrating against the Netanyahu government's "judicial reform" plan, which includes amendments limiting the powers of the Supreme Court (the highest judicial authority) and giving the government the power to appoint judges.