LONDON: Israel risks becoming a 鈥渘ationalist theocracy,鈥� a leading British Jewish historian has warned, urging members of the diaspora to protest against the current government.

Simon Schama told British newspaper The Observer that Israel faces 鈥渄isintegration of the political and social compact鈥� over moves to radically alter the judicial system and expand Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories.

His words echo those of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who warned earlier this week that the country is on the brink of 鈥渃onstitutional and social collapse.鈥�

Judicial reforms would give the government more influence over the appointment of judges and reduce the power of the Supreme Court.

The coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has drawn criticism from across the Jewish diaspora over the plans, as well as its inclusion of extreme right-wing politicians in its ranks.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recently called for a Palestinian village to be 鈥渨iped out鈥� in retaliation for the murder of two Israelis.

In the wake of the forming of the coalition, considered the most right-wing government in Israel鈥檚 history, there has been an increase in violence between Jewish settlers and Palestinians, with the Israel Defense Forces failing to stop many of the attacks.

Last week, the UK was among six countries to issue a joint declaration urging 鈥渢he Israeli government to reverse its recent decision to advance the construction of more than 7,000 settlement building units across the occupied West Bank and to legalize settlement outposts.鈥�

Schama told The Observer that Israel鈥檚 1948 declaration of independence 鈥減romised equal civil rights to all religious and ethnic groups.鈥�

Many other prominent members of the UK鈥檚 Jewish community have also condemned the actions of the Israeli government.

Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, said: 鈥淭he voice of the Jewish diaspora must be stronger, we must exert what pressure we can to curtail the excesses of the Israeli government.鈥�

The pro-Israel Board of Deputies of British Jews issued a rare rebuke over Smotrich鈥檚 comments.

鈥淲e utterly condemn Bezalel Smotrich鈥檚 comments calling for the Israeli government to 鈥榚rase鈥� a village which days ago was attacked by Israeli settlers,鈥� it said.

鈥淲e hope that this and similar comments will be publicly repudiated by responsible voices in the governing coalition.鈥�

Last month, prominent British Jewish lawyer Anthony Julius told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that Netanyahu鈥檚 government incorporated 鈥渢he worst features of the populist, anti-liberal democratic parties that operate in Europe and in America as well, but with a special kind of antinomian Jewish intensity.鈥�

British Rabbi Jonathan Romain told The Observer: 鈥淭he mood is shifting from British Jews being out-and-out supporters (of Israel) to being critical friends 鈥� and voicing that criticism publicly.鈥� 

Demonstrations are set to take place in the UK in the coming weeks, organized by Jewish groups that have invited Israelis in Britain to attend.

Reuven Ziegler, a law professor at Reading University, said: 鈥淭he demonstrations are a very patriotic act because they are an attempt to save Israel from making substantive mistakes that would ultimately change its character. They are anything but hostile to the Israeli state.

鈥淪ince this government was formed, it has given many reasons for people in the diaspora to find themselves alienated from it.

鈥淚n the past, faced with certain expressions of antisemitism, many Jews have felt the need to defend Israel, right or wrong. That sentiment may be weakening, but ultimately the blame for that lies squarely with the current government.鈥�

Hannah Weisfeld, director of Yachad 鈥� a British Jewish organization that supports a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 鈥� told The Observer that 鈥渕any鈥� British Jews 鈥渉ave family in Israel who are telling them that a dictatorship is coming. We鈥檙e not quite at a tipping point yet, but I think we鈥檒l get there.鈥�