NEW YORK (VINnews) — In an interview with Thomas Friedman, the New York Times foreign affairs Op-Ed columnist, US President Joe Biden responded to the judicial reform planned by the Netanyahu government in Israel.
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“The genius of American democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, on an independent judiciary”, Biden wrote.
“Building consensus for fundamental changes is really important to ensure that the people buy into them so they can be sustained”, the President added.
“This is the first time I can recall a U.S. president has ever weighed in on an internal Israeli debate about the very character of the country’s democracy”, Friedman wrote, “And although it’s only 46 words, Biden’s statement comes at a crucial time in this wrenching Israeli internal discussion”.
Initially the Biden administration stressed that it would not be intervening in Israel’s political affairs regarding the issue of judicial reform. A day after the legislative package was announced by Justice Minister Yariv Levin on January 4, two US officials told The Times of Israel site that the administration was not planning on pressuring Israel against implementing the overhaul. The officials explained that the matter was an internal Israeli one and that Washington preferred to reserve its voice for weighing in on policies that more directly impact the effort to promote a two-state solution.
However in recent weeks,possibly in the wake of the widespread public protests in Israel, the US has appeared to change its approach, sending National Security advisor Jake Sullivan to Jerusalem to discuss the proposed reforms with the Israeli government, as well as Secretary of State Blinken, who discussed regional issues with Netanyahu but also made a similar statement to Biden, stressing that “building consensus for new proposals is the most effective way to ensure they’re embraced and that they endure.”
The American position is one adopted by a segment of Israeli society which includes President Herzog. This segment, composed both of left and right-wing elements, has not opposed judicial reforms outright like other groups but seeks to achieve such reform through dialog and mutual consensus.
Mr Biden – first get your house together – then you can tell others what to do and what not do
The chutzpah of this demented fool is breathtaking
There was a consensus Mr. Dufuss: it’s called ELECTION. And that has taken place some time ago! Got it?
A. The problem is that there are no checks on the Israeli Supreme Court.
B. There is a consensus for reform. If you discount the Arab parties (they are only in the opposition because they oppose any government and have less in common with Israeli secular leftists than the religious right) and also discount the parties in that are on opposition out of spite to Netanyahu and not because of a difference in ideology than the current Knesset has a super majority.
The point is that the Israeli left is shrinking rapidly, bH. The Israeli public is sick of them. Oslo and the intifada that it caused was the last straw. Since then the only time the left controlled the government was when a politician claimed to be right wing and reversed course once in power (see Sharon and Bennett). All this noise is simply that, noise. It’s the shrill screams of a dying, irrelevant movement.
You mean like how they did Obamacare?
What right does the US have to get involved in internal policies of another country. Imagine the reaction if Israel were to take a position on policy disagreements among Americans as to internal policy.
Frankly Israel handles Israeli internal and defense policy. Not US pols. The Jewish State can make up its own mind.
A Chinese spy who wants to pack his own court with liberals
But in America it’s ok to use FBI & DOJ etc. for political oppression
the hypocrisy of the left is mind boggling. The are faceless to tell the real democracy Israel how to run their business
Why is everyone on the left suddenly against separation of powers and democracy?
Joe biden is funding the pali terror regimes pay to slay by sending the millions of dollars in contravention of US law. Democrats hate democracy unless they are getting their way, if they dont get their way they call the opposition anti democratic.
What’d u want from this old shnuk
He’s just saying what he was told to.
And I’m surprised he didn’t mix up between Israel and Iran
Thank you for your opinion, Joe. I know you’re just trying to help.
Good luck fostering a climate of consensus with rabid leftists in the picture!!!
Hey Biden what happened to unifying in the USA . Your state of the union most definitely didn’t offer those vibes to Republicans
Like all nyt’s jews, freiedman is a lying, self hating piece of dreck, just like sontag, beinart, and notorious anti chasid bigot, eliza shapiro.
Nyt loves anti semitic jews so much they even wrote the lies of [perennially unemployed shnorrer] nick moster, a man who is so morally bankrupt that he shnorred $ off of accused abuser, michael steinhardt for years!!!!