‘Israel Is A Sovereign Country’

Topline

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu snapped back Wednesday at President Joe Biden’s remarks about his controversial judicial reforms that triggered mass protests, saying Israel makes its own decisions on internal policies as tensions simmer between the two leaders amid growing concerns in Washington about the Netanyahu-led far-right government.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves 10 Downing Street after a meeting with Britain’s … [+] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London.

Key Facts

Biden told reporters Tuesday that he hopes Netanyahu “walks away” from the controversial judicial reform that would empower the Israeli prime minister, who faces corruption charges, to appoint judges.

The proposed reform has triggered nationwide protests in Israel and Biden said he hoped Netanyahu will “act in a way that he can try to work out some genuine compromise.”

Netanyahu pushed back against Biden’s comments on Wednesday, saying the country will make its own decisions based on “the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad.”

Netanyahu, however, noted that he appreciates Biden’s “longstanding commitment to Israel” and said the alliance between the two countries is “unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us.”

When asked about Netanyahu being invited to the White House, Biden told reporters that there were no such plans “in the near term,” in another potential sign of strained ties between the two leaders.

Key Background

Earlier this week, Netanyahu announced he was putting the controversial reforms on hold after the proposals sparked widespread protests, with some of Israel’s biggest trade unions threatening to bring the country to a grinding halt. In his speech announcing the pause, Netanyahu said the step was being taken to prevent the situation from spiraling into a civil war. After taking power earlier this year, Netanyahu and his far-right allies vowed to push through the reforms that would have effectively ended the independence of the country’s judiciary. The plan had come under criticism from opposition politicians, the country’s business leaders and even some members of the country’s military. Previously, American Jewish leaders had expressed concerns about Netanyahu’s far-right ruling coalition, warning that it could damage the country’s democracy. Netanyahu’s reform plan also increased tensions with Washington, Israel’s closest international ally. Biden administration officials reportedly privately warned members of Netanyahu’s government that pushing forward with the reforms could damage “Israel’s image as the sole democracy in the Middle East,” according to the New York Times.

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