US President Joe Biden discussed the Israeli judicial reform that the Netanyahu administration is planning in an interview with Thomas Friedman, the Op-Ed columnist for the New York Times on international issues.
The genius of American and Israeli democracies, according to Biden, is that they are both based on solid institutions, checks and balances, and independent judiciaries.
The President said, “Creating agreement for major reforms is crucial to make sure that the public buys into them so they can be perpetuated.”
Friedman noted that although Biden’s statement is brief (only 46 words), it comes at a critical juncture in the country’s democracy.
“This is the first time I can remember a U.S. president having weighed in on an internal Israeli debate about the very character of the country’s democracy,” Friedman wrote.
The Biden administration first emphasized that it would not interfere in Israel’s political affairs regarding the judicial reform debate.
Two US officials informed The Times of Israel website on January 5, a day after Justice Minister Yariv Levin presented the legislative package, that the administration had no intention of forcing Israel to hold off on adopting the changes.
According to the officials, the issue was an internal Israeli one.
Washington preferred to reserve its voice for commenting on laws that have a more direct bearing on the drive to advance a two-state solution.
However, the US has recently seemed to change its stance, sending National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to Jerusalem to discuss the proposed reforms with the Israeli government as well as Secretary of State Blinken, who discussed regional issues with Netanyahu but also made a similar statement to Biden, stressing that “building consensus for new proposals is the most effective way to ensure that the reforms are implemented.”
President Herzog is among the Israeli leaders who have accepted the American viewpoint.
This group, which consists of both left- and right-wing elements, has not openly opposed judicial reform like other organizations, instead seeking to bring about such reform through discussion and mutual understanding.
JOIN US ON WHAT'SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW.
CLICK HERE
