President: Israel in 'historic crisis' over judicial overhaul

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Tel Aviv is going through a “historic crisis” that threatens to destroy it from within, amid mass protests against government plans for a judicial overhaul.

“We are in a historic crisis that threatens to destroy us from within,” Herzog said in a speech during a meeting with 100 mayors and heads of local councils.

“We are in one of the most difficult moments that the State of Israel has experienced. It seems like a paradox, doesn’t it? No missiles, no alarms, no red alert. But we all know deep down that this is a supreme national danger,” he added.

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He referred to the economic repercussions of the internal dispute, saying they are “enormous”.

Herzog called on the ruling coalition and the opposition to “rise” to the occasion and put the public interest “above everything else”.

For the ninth week in a row, tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday across Israel, denouncing the policies of the Netanyahu government, his plans to reform the judiciary and interference in the Supreme Court work.

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