Jerusalem: Israel’s prime minister on Wednesday brushed aside criticism of his judicial overhaul plan from President Joe Biden, saying that the matter was an internal Israeli issue and would not be influenced by outside pressure.
It was a rare bout of public disagreement between the two close allies, and reflected what has been a lukewarm relationship between the Biden administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government.
The disagreement came after months of unrest in Israel over Netanyahu’s proposed overhaul of the country’s judicial system.
Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, says the plan is needed to rein in the powers of an interventionist judiciary. Critics say it will push the country toward authoritarianism by weakening an independent court system.
Following especially heavy protests, Netanyahu this week froze the plan and launched negotiations on a compromise with his political opponents. The timeout prompted Biden’s ambassador, Tom Nides, to tell Israeli media that he expected Netanyahu to soon be invited to the White House.
Asked about the legislation on Tuesday, Biden told reporters, “I hope he walks away from it.” He said Netanyahu’s government “cannot continue down this road” and called for a compromise.
Biden then said there were no immediate plans for a White House visit, saying: “No, not in the near term.”
Read the article by Josef Federman in The Sydney Morning Herald.