The United States is deeply concerned about the events in Israel and “strongly urges” the country’s leadership to “find a compromise as soon as possible,” the White House said on Sunday evening.
“We are deeply concerned by today’s (Sunday) events in Israel,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement. “We strongly call on Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible,” she stressed.
“Democratic values have always been and must remain the hallmark of US-Israeli relations,” added Watson.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Galant over his statements calling for a halt to the government’s reform of the judiciary, the Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday evening.
This decision sparked another outbreak of anti-government protests in Israel on Sunday evening, including in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wants to implement reforms in the judiciary, which include increasing the government’s control over the election process of Supreme Court judges, as well as the ability to overturn Supreme Court rulings by a majority of 61 votes in the 120-member parliament. The head of the Israeli government said on Thursday that he would put aside all other matters and “do whatever it takes” to resolve the conflict between opponents of the reform and the government.
These plans are causing Israel to face its biggest wave of protests in years. (PAP)
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