President Joe Biden's criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan has sparked a rare public clash between Israel and the United States. Biden warned that Israel "cannot continue down this road" if it wishes to preserve its democracy. Netanyahu paused the legislation and opened negotiations with opposition parties, yet also promised to pass a reform in some form by summer. In response to Biden's rebuke, Netanyahu asserted that Israel would make its own decisions. The public dispute has opposition leaders fearing it could endanger the country's friendship with the US and its security. Months of protests against the right-wing government and military reservists have raised concerns, with tens of thousands of protesters gathering in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv last weekend. The move towards judicial change has injected an inconvenient set of circumstances into Biden's democracy celebration, with fears in the White House that the far-right coalition governing Israel may have authoritarian leanings.

Will Israel's government safeguard its democracy, or will it fall prey to authoritarianism?