Israel Draws Red Line With Biden

Top voices in the Israeli government are criticizing President Joe Biden after he waded into an ongoing debate over a series of proposed reforms to the country's court system that opponents fear could reduce the independence of the country's judiciary, whom right-wing supporters of conservative President Benjamin Netanyahu have long accused of obstructing their favored policy proposals.

Speaking at an event in North Carolina this week, Biden offered his most forceful comments to date opposing the reforms, saying the proposed reforms could potentially harm the country's relationship with the U.S. if a compromise was not found.

"Like many strong supporters of Israel, I'm very concerned, and I'm concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road," Biden told reporters Tuesday, adding that he did not anticipate inviting Netanyahu to the White House in the near term.

Long seen as a bulwark for human rights protections in Israel, the country's supreme court has in recent years become a target of right-wing politicians for decisions that obstructed additional settlements in the contested West Bank region of neighboring Palestine alongside a series of rulings opponents perceived to infringe on the autonomy of religiously conservative communities throughout the country.

After being swept into power last year, Netanyahu elevated a number of hardline conservative politicians who had opposed the judiciary and had advocated reforms to limit its power. And it is now believed they have the power to do so.

Earlier this year, Netanyahu's Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, and Israeli law and justice committee chairman Simcha Rothman began pushing a series of reforms to essentially place the power of the judiciary into the hands of the government, removing checks and balances that have been in place since the country's founding in 1948.

If enacted, the reforms would grant the Israeli government increased influence over the makeup of the court as well the power to override Supreme Court rulings that deem their legislation unconstitutional, giving Netanyahu's government almost unlimited power to enact whatever policy proposals it desires.

Netanyahu—who is currently facing corruption charges from that same court—has supported the changes, calling the reforms an effort to "restore balance" between the three branches of government while characterizing criticisms of the proposals as "propaganda" based on misinformation.

Scores of Israelis, however, have seen the effort as a power grab by Netanyahu's government they believe could erode the country's democracy.

After the firing of his defense minister earlier this week after he called for a pause on talks, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in protest, capping off months of widespread demonstrations opposing Netanyahu's government amid escalating violence against neighboring Palestine and unprecedented efforts to alter a governmental structure dating back to its earliest days as a nation.

"The protesters view this as an attack by an authoritarian government intent on destroying its people and are equating it to the Arab world's attempt during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 to wage war against Israel," Alissa Pavia, associate director for the North Africa Program within the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs, wrote in an Atlantic Council briefing discussing the protests.

The proposed changes, which are currently on pause for further review in a seeming response to this week's protests, have also earned the attention of the U.S. Congress as well as the Biden administration, who have directly criticized the efforts of leadership in what is considered the United States' closest ally in the Middle East.

In January, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken offered a veiled rebuke of Netanyahu's proposals in a joint press conference with the Israeli leader, saying the two countries' relationship was mired in a shared commitment to "core democratic principles and institutions."

Newsweek has reached out to both the White House and the Israeli Embassy in Washington for comment, including additional details on a potential plan of action—if any—should the changes be adopted. However, the White House downplayed the remarks Monday, saying that the comments came "from a place of respect" for the Israeli people and its institutions, while the U.S. State Department added it would continue to monitor the situation and push for compromise.

"Compromise is precisely what we have been calling for, and we continue to strongly urge Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters earlier this week. "We believe that it's the best path forward for Israel and all of its citizens. Democratic societies are strengthened by checks and balances, and fundamental changes to a democratic system should be pursued with the broadest base of popular support."

Meanwhile Israeli leaders—and Netanyahu himself—have publicly called for the White House to stay out of the debate. After Biden's comments, Netanyahu's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel was "not another star" on the American flag, and that Israel was, like the United States, a democracy.

"I expect the U.S. president to understand that," Ben-Gvir said.

Those comments were echoed by other figures in Netanyahu's cabinet like Culture Minister Miki Zohar and Education Minister Yoav Kisch, who said while there can be American criticism, the decisions "are our own."

Netanyahu, meanwhile, appeared to brush off Biden's comments in his own statement late Tuesday night.

"I have known President Biden for over 40 years, and I appreciate his longstanding commitment to Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement posted on Twitter. "The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us. My administration is committed to strengthening democracy by restoring the proper balance between the three branches of government, which we are striving to achieve via a broad consensus."

"Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends," he added.