Israel's judicial overhaul row: Amid the contentious judicial overhaul plan of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the repercussions were now felt in diplomatic relations with one of its closest allies, the United States.
A day after Netanyahu called off his plan following a massive domestic outrage, US President Joe Biden, on Tuesday, asserted that Netanyahu’s government “cannot continue down this road” and urged compromise on the plan roiling Israel."
Biden does not want Netanyahu's visit to US
"I hope he walks away from it," said US President. The president also stepped around US Ambassador Thomas Nides’ suggestion that Netanyahu would soon be invited to the White House, saying, “No, not in the near term.”
“Hopefully the prime minister will act in a way that he can try to work out some genuine compromise. But that remains to be seen,” Biden said to reporters as he left North Carolina to return to Washington.
Netanyahu says Israel makes its own decisions
Hours after Biden's critical remarks, Israeli Priemere rejected the suggestions and asserted that Jerusalem makes its own decisions. Notably,
the exchange was a rare bout of public disagreement between the two close allies and signals building friction between Israel and the US over Netanyahu’s judicial changes.
"Israel is sovereign and makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends," said the Israeli PM.
Why Israel is boiling?
Netanyahu and his religious and ultranationalist allies announced the judicial overhaul in January just days after forming their government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history.
The proposal has plunged Israel into its worst domestic crisis in decades. Business leaders, top economists and former security chiefs have all come out against the plan, saying it is pushing the country toward dictatorship.
The plan would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his allies the final say in appointing the nation’s judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by its allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court’s ability to review laws.
(With inputs from AP)
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