US President Joe Biden “is not afraid that Israel will turn into a civil war”, the spokesman of the White House said on Monday, answering questions about the serious crisis in this country, according to AFP.

“Israel has a long tradition of democracy,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

But he reiterated that the US is “concerned” by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s justice reform plan, which is due to be discussed later today.

A huge crowd – some 80,000 demonstrators, according to Israeli media – gathered outside Jerusalem’s parliament on Monday afternoon to protest the reform.

The country’s largest union also called a general strike on Monday, which was widely followed in the public sector but also observed by private companies, a very rare event.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will delay until next month a controversial judicial reform that has driven millions of Israelis into the streets in recent months and led to a national strike on Monday, Reuters reported.

The announcement to delay the bill was made in a press release Monday afternoon by the far-right Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”) party, one of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition allies.

The statement states that the law will be adopted at the next session of the Israeli parliament with the aim of “adopting the reform through dialogue.” The Knesset, Israel’s unicameral parliament, will go on recess next week as Jews celebrate Pesach, the Jewish Passover.