<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">President Joe Biden urged Israel in a statement Sunday not to rush increasingly "divisive" judicial reforms, given the other challenges facing the US ally.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In a statement first published by news site Axios and later shared with AFP by the White House, Biden said, "It doesn't make sense for Israeli leaders to rush this - the focus should be on pulling people together and finding consensus."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"From the perspective of Israel's friends in the United States, it looks like the current judicial reform proposal is becoming more divisive, not less," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to bring his controversial proposal to curb the power of judges to a vote in the Knesset as soon as Monday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The proposal triggered dueling protests over the weekend between supporters of the proposal and those who fear it will undermine Israel's democracy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The driving force behind the reforms, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, said the bill L put to lawmakers on Monday had undergone changes to accommodate critics, but added that the coalition was still open to "understandings."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Netanyahu faced other challenges over the weekend, not the least of which was a trip to the hospital to have a pacemaker fitted after he was hospitalized for a reported spell of dizziness.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His government, which includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues that the proposed reforms will prevent overreach by unelected judges and ensure a better balance of power.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Opponents accuse the 73-year-old Netanyahu, who has been fighting corruption charges in court, of a conflict of interest and some protesters have labelled him the "crime minister."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some 20 legislators have lined up to speak against the bill, which would limit Supreme Court judges' ability to strike down government decisions they deem "unreasonable."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If approved, the "reasonability" clause would be the first major component of the overhaul to become law. Other proposed changes include allowing the government a greater say in the appointment of judges. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>