Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the British news broadcaster Sky News in an interview that was broadcast Friday morning.
Netanyahu was first asked about the judicial reform issue and the negotiations over the issue which are being conducted at the President's Residence.
"It seems to me that we have a situation where there is now a fairly broad majority that says we have to reform our judicial system. But the question is how much and how fast," Netanyahu said, adding that he "decided in the wake of the ensuing months to try to get a consensus."
When asked what he would do if the talks at the President's Residence collapsed, he said: "Give me time. Let me keep my cards close to my chest. Also, I have to discuss this with my colleagues."
The prime minister was asked about the economic consequences of the reform and the weakening of the shekel, and replied: "Israel's economy is very powerful and it's gonna remain powerful because it's a high-tech economy in a high-tech world, and because I led the free-market revolution which turned Israel from a semi-socialist economy to a capitalist economy."
The Prime Minister accused the leaders of the opposition to the judicial reform and the media of distorting what the judicial reforms actually do, saying that they claim "we're gonna take away the independence of the court. No, we're not. I'm not gonna let that happen."
When asked about the fact that he has not yet been invited to a meeting with the US president since taking office six months ago, Netanyahu said that "Joe Biden is a great friend of Israel" and that he believes an invitation "will come."
Regarding the Iranian threats against Israel, Netanyahu said: "Iran is openly committed to repeating the Holocaust and destroying the 6-7 million Jews of Israel. We're not going to sit idly by and let them do it. I don't think that diplomacy by itself will work. I think diplomacy can only work if it's coupled with a credible military threat or the willingness to apply that military option if deterrence fails."
"We'll do whatever we need to do to defend ourselves," he added. "Whatever agreements are made, that doesn't oblige us. If they're saying that they're going to destroy us, end Jewish history after 3,000 years, 3,500 years of toiling under the sun, rebuilding our homeland, reestablishing our national life here, and these ayatollahs think that they can threaten us with nuclear holocaust, they're wrong."
Regarding a possible peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu said, "Our hand is extended to all Arab states, and certainly to Saudi Arabia. We have great opportunities to advance peace in our region, peace between our two countries, the well-being of our peoples - I think it will change history."
"Obviously, Saudi Arabia would be a quantum leap forward, because it is the most influential Arab country, not only in the Arab, I think also in the Muslim world," added the prime minister. "I think that will also help us solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."