Israel's President, Isaac Herzog, has described the dispute over judicial reform as the "most serious internal crisis since the establishment of the state" 75 years ago.
At the same time, in an interview with the Israeli news site ynet published on Monday, he expressed hope that the country could emerge stronger from the drama.
Celebrations for Israel's 75th anniversary begin on Tuesday evening but they will be overshadowed by the controversy over the government's judicial reform plans, which opponents reject as a threat to democracy.
"The judicial overhaul, things that happened around the formation of this government, the coalition agreements – it is all exploding at once," Herzog said. The reform sought by the right-wing religious government of Benjamin Netanyahu is seen by many as "altering the world order."
The crisis is being watched with concern by Israel's allies, Herzog said. "The world is looking at us, our enemies are celebrating, and our friends are concerned. I am asked what is going on."
"Beyond the questions that have daunted us since the early days of Zionism, questions over the balance between Jewish and democratic, the place of religion in our lives and the limitations on authorities, there are many psychological elements," Herzog said of the current dispute. "We are a people who gathered from 100 different places." Many of these people have had traumatic experiences, he said.,
