US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to express “concern” over the planned overhaul of the country’s judicial system, and called for compromise, after widespread protests have rocked Israel.
Ednews reports citing foreign media that Netanyahu’s government seeks to pass a sweeping plan to curtail the judiciary and claim unprecedented power for politicians by removing the ability of Israel’s supreme court to act as a check on the Knesset.
Critics say the reform could transform Israel from a liberal democracy, based on a system of checks and balances, to an authoritarian state.
The White House said in a statement that Biden “underscored his belief that democratic values have always been, and must remain, a hallmark of the US-Israel relationship, that democratic societies are strengthened by genuine checks and balances, and that fundamental changes should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support.”
“The President offered support for efforts underway to forge a compromise on proposed judicial reforms consistent with those core principles,” the statement added.
