Netanyahu's response to the US president: "Israel will make its own
decisions, not based on external pressure."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
has expressed his anger over the statement of the US President in which
President Biden urged him to withdraw from his controversial judicial reform
plans.
Joe Biden has said while talking to reporters that "He (Netanyahu) cannot go forward on this path. “In response, Mr. Netanyahu said in a tweet that Israel will make its own decisions, "not based on external pressure." This week's protests have brought business to a standstill in Israel, forcing Israel to put the proposals on hold.
It should be remembered that since
Netanyahu returned to power at the end of last year, these protests have
intensified in Israel. Mr. Netanyahu's government is the most nationalist and
right-wing in Israel's history, determined to limit the powers of the
judiciary.
If the Netanyahu government succeeds in
gaining full control of the judicial appointment committee, it could strip the
Supreme Court of key powers to strike down legislation that the nationalist
government deems unconstitutional.
Netanyahu says he will stop the courts from
overstepping their authority, and that's what the people voted for him in the
last election. But most of the country's legal experts say his actions will
effectively destroy the independence of the judiciary, while opposition figures
call it an attempt at a "coup on behalf of the government."
After the prime minister fired Defense Minister Yves Gallant last week for openly calling for the reforms to be halted, the country's largest labor union called a strike and thousands of people across the country demonstrated against the government on Sunday and Monday. Participated in demonstrations.
The protests led Mr. Netanyahu to finally
relent and on Monday night announced that he was delaying the judicial changes
until the next session of parliament to allow time for negotiations.
The first meeting between officials of the ruling coalition and the two largest opposition parties in the parliament, Yesh Atid and National Unity, took place on Tuesday at President Isaac Herzog's home. The discussions on a framework for the talks were held "in a positive mood," according to Mr. Herzog's office. Apart from this, President Isaac Herzog also met with the representatives of opposition parties - United Arab List, Hadash Tal, and Labor Party on Wednesday.
President Joseph Biden pushed Israel's ruling government to forego changes in a press conference while in North Carolina on Tuesday. Like many of Israel's staunchest defenders, he expressed his anxiety and expressed his worry that Israel's other allies would share his fear.
I hope the prime minister would act in a
way that he can try to reach a true agreement, but that is still up in the air,
said President Biden. Israeli Prime Minister commented on Twitter late at night that
"Israel is a sovereign country that makes its decisions based on the will
of its people and not on the basis of pressure from elsewhere" (obviously
displeased by President Biden's remarks). Yet that also applies to close
friends.
The coalition led by Mr. Netanyahu is "committed to restoring the necessary balance between the three pillars of government, which we are seeking to achieve through wide consensus," he continued, adding that this is done in order to advance democracy. On the other hand, National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz said that President Biden has asked the Israeli government to "wake up immediately".
The harm to our relationship with the United States, who are both our best friend and most crucial ally, is a strategic blow, he claimed. Although Mr. Biden says he is not meddling in Israel's internal affairs, when he referred to Netanyahu's efforts aimed at legal reform in Israel, President Biden raised suspicions. The measure has been filled.
It should be noted that since Netanyahu became prime minister for the third time, he has not received an invitation from Washington, which is now being watched from the point of view of whether the White House is happy with him or not. When President Biden was asked Tuesday if he planned to send an invitation anytime soon, he replied, "No, not in the near future."
While President Joe Biden is a staunch supporter of Israel, Netanyahu has a history of falling out with him. In 2015, the then-Obama administration collapsed when Netanyahu tried to derail the nuclear deal between the West and Iran. According to reports, the Biden administration has repeatedly warned Netanyahu's cabinet that their actions during this week's crisis are endangering Israel's standing as the "sole democracy" in the area.
Mr. Netanyahu appears to be trying to use this
pressure to convince his far-right allies to block judicial reforms.
The two leading ultra-nationalist leaders in the governing coalition, Finance Minister Bezael Smutrich, and National Security Minister Atamar Bengweir have both finally agreed with Netanyahu after talks on Monday. Mr. Ben Gower said he would agree to a legislative standoff in exchange for the Prime Minister's commitment to direct reporting on the National Guard plan and to fund the plan from a multibillion-dollar budget.
The plan was denounced by opponents and police officials as a "private militia" that would bring about "chaos" in the nation. However, there is skepticism in the Israeli media about whether the project will actually go ahead or not. For weeks, the Biden administration pressured Netanyahu to compromise with opponents on court reform plans.
During a visit to Jerusalem earlier this
year, US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken stood alongside Netanyahu and
mentioned the Biden administration's expectations of "democracy" and
"shared values" from the Israeli government.
