Biden wants Israel to ditch judicial reform, PM says won’t base decisions on foreign pressure
U.S. President Joseph Biden called on Israel to abandon reforms on the 28th, amid the controversy over the Israeli government’s forced judicial reforms. This statement was quickly responded by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Israel “will not make decisions based on foreign pressure.”
The night before, in the face of growing protests and opposition in the country, Netanyahu announced the postponement of domestic judicial reform in order to allow dialogue between all parties. Regarding the Israeli decision, the US White House commented on the 28th that Netanyahu should seek a compromise on the issue of judicial reform.
Later on the 28th, Biden once again mentioned Israel’s judicial reform when answering reporters’ questions. His statement was more direct than that of the White House: “I hope he (Netanyahu) will give up.”
The Israeli government led by Netanyahu has been committed to promoting judicial reform this year. Relevant measures include allowing the parliament to veto Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority and giving the government greater power in appointing judges. The above-mentioned measures have encountered fierce opposition since they were announced, and there have been many large-scale protests in Israel. Defense Minister Yoyaf Galante publicly voiced his opposition on the 25th and was dismissed the next day, triggering a new wave of protests and strikes.
Netanyahu said in a televised speech on the evening of the 27th that in order to avoid “national division” and “civil war”, he decided to postpone the second and third readings of judicial reform-related bills in parliament until mid-to-late April. On the 28th, President Isaac Herzog presided over the dialogue meeting, urging the two factions supporting and opposing the reform to reach a compromise.
In the face of Biden’s “promotion”, Netanyahu quickly responded with a statement, which wrote: “Israel is a sovereign state that makes decisions based on the wishes of its people, not on the basis of foreign pressure, including from its best friends. (pressure).”
He also stressed that the Israeli government is working hard to carry out reforms “through broad consensus”.
Many media reported that the US-Israeli leader’s “speech from a distance” showed friction between the two countries over Israel’s judicial reform, which was a rare public disagreement between the two close allies.
In addition, US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides recently suggested that the US should invite Netanyahu to visit the US as soon as possible. When Biden was asked by reporters on the 28th whether he would invite Netanyahu to visit the United States in the near future, he replied: “No, not in the near future.”
(Xinhua News Agency)