On the occasion of a telephone call to the Israeli Prime Minister, Sunday March 19, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, underlined, during his first public statement on this file, that the controversial reform of the judicial system Israeli should respect fundamental democratic values.
Democratic principles are a ” brand “ US-Israeli relations, recalled Joe Biden, in a statement from the White House. He has “offered its support for ongoing efforts to find a compromise (…) in accordance with these fundamental principles”the statement said. “Democratic societies are strengthened by real checks and balances” and any substantive change must benefit from the “widest possible popular support”Joe Biden told Benyamin Netanyahu, according to the same source.
Increase the power of elected officials over that of magistrates
Announced in early January, Israel’s judicial reform includes the introduction of a clause “derogatory” allowing Parliament to overrule a Supreme Court decision by a simple majority. It aims to increase the power of elected officials over that of magistrates. According to its detractors, it jeopardizes the democratic character of the State of Israel and could help to quash a possible conviction of Mr. Netanyahu, tried for corruption in several cases.
The Prime Minister and his allies believe, for their part, that the reform is necessary to restore a balance of power between elected officials and the Supreme Court, which they consider politicized. Several provisions have already been adopted at first reading in Parliament.
Thousands of demonstrators in Israel took to the streets again on Saturday, for the eleventh week in a row, to denounce the bill for the justice system supported by Binyamin Netanyahu. On Wednesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog presented a draft compromise on the reform project, accepted by the leaders of the opposition parties but immediately rejected by the ruling coalition.