"Recently I have been hearing ultimatums, dictates, and threats to leave the coalition in relation to the 'Jewish State bill' and other topics. We can't run the country like this," he said.
Netanyahu called on his coalition partners to focus on strengthening Israel's security in facing radical Islam and the Iranian nuclear threat, and on strengthening Israel's economy and its citizens' welfare.
"I hope the heads of the coalition parties will unite in this spirit," the prime minister added.
Ahead of the cabinet vote on the controversial "Jewish State bill," which seeks to give Israel's Jewishness legal standing, Netanyahu said "many are challenging Israel's character as the nation-state of the Jewish People. There are those who want autonomy in the Negev and Galilee and deny our national rights."
The prime minister posited that his iteration of bill is not "softened" and he did not change a word, in comparison to two private member bills by coalition chairman Ze'ev Elkin (Likud) and by MKs Yariv Levin (Likud), Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi) and Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beytenu), though the draft released by his office last week showed a few differences.
"I brought the principles of the law in which I believe appear in the Independence Scroll," Netanyahu stated.