Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed President Biden for his criticism of Israel’s proposed judicial overhaul that ignited waves of protests.
Netanyahu said he has known Biden for more than 40 years and expressed appreciation for the president’s “long-standing commitment to Israel.”
“The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always trumps the occasional disagreement between us,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister said he was committed to “strengthening democracy by restoring the right balance between the three branches of government, which we are trying to achieve through broad consensus”.
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“Sovereign Israeli country that makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressure from abroad, including best friends,” Netanyahu said.
The comments appeared to be aimed at President Biden, who told reporters on Tuesday he was “very concerned” about Israel’s planned judicial review and said he hoped Netanyahu would “go away”.
“Like many strong supporters of Israel, I’m very concerned, and I’m concerned that they get this right. They can’t continue down this path,” Biden said, after a speech in North Carolina. “Hopefully, the prime minister will act so that we can try to work out a real compromise. But that remains to be seen.”
Judicial reforms would allow, among other things, the governing coalition to control the appointment of judges and give it the authority to overturn Supreme Court rulings it dislikes.
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Netanyahu’s conservative allies have said the bill is needed to curb a system of unelected judges who are overly interventionist in political matters. But opponents have likened the overhaul to a power grab that would erode a system of checks and balances and concentrate authority in the hands of the prime minister and his allies.
After weeks of mass protests that shut down major Israeli cities, Netanyahu delayed plans on Monday, saying he wanted to “avoid a civil war” by finding time to seek a compromise with political opponents.
FILE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves 10 Downing Street after meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London, March 24, 2023.
The announcement appeared to calm some of the tensions that have fueled a tumultuous three months of unrest. But he has failed to address the underlying issues that have polarized the nation, and the anti-government protest movement has vowed to step up its efforts.
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Netanyahu has promised to push the reforms through parliament “one way or another”.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
