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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to give up on plans for the law that has sparked strong protests in the country.
The proposal is currently on hold, but US President Joe Biden has said that Israel should completely abandon the plans.
– They cannot continue on this path, and I have sort of made it clear, said Biden, who expressed his concern about the situation.
Netanyahu responds that Israel is a sovereign country that “makes its decisions according to the will of its people and not based on pressure from abroad, including from the best friends.”
The unusual exchange of views between the two allies came after Netanyahu on Monday backed down and paused consideration of the controversial bill, which critics say threatens Israel’s status as a democratic country. The break lasts until the next session of the Knesset parliament in about a month.
Biden says he hopes the controversial bill is scrapped and Netanyahu hopes to reach a compromise.