The outgoing US Ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides, told The Wall Street Journal on Monday that the Biden administration is trying to stop Israel from “going off the rails” with the overhaul of its judicial system.

Nides said the planned overhaul raised questions about Israel’s democratic credentials and the US-Israeli bond, which he called “as close as family”.

“I think most Israelis want the United States to be in their business,” he told The Wall Street Journal. “With that sometimes comes a modicum of a price, which is articulating when we think things are going off the rails.”

“One of the messages I sent to the prime minister was to tap the brakes, slow down,” Nides added. “Try to get consensus.”

Nides would not say what pieces of the planned overhaul particularly worry Washington, and added that the real issue for Washington was that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is “rushing things through that ultimately could have huge implications, at least perception-wise, about what makes Israel great.”

US officials have repeatedly opined that any changes to the judicial reform in Israel should be implemented with the agreement of both the government and the opposition.

In March, Biden offered very harsh criticism of Israel, saying he is “very concerned” about the goings on in light of the judicial reform and adding, “They cannot continue down this road.”

Biden also added he will not be inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in the near term.

Netanyahu later responded to Biden and said, “The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us.”

He also stressed that “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.”

Nides himself called on Israeli leaders to “pump the brakes” on the judicial reform several months ago.

This resulted in a back-and-forth with Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who responded to Nides in a radio interview and said, “I say to the American ambassador, put on the brakes yourself and mind your own business. You aren’t sovereign here, to get involved in the matter of judicial reform. We will be happy to discuss foreign and security matters with you. But respect our democracy.”

Nides later took a swipe at Chikli, describing him as “an Israeli official that I don’t know”.