US President Joe Biden invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Washington before the end of the year and expressed concern to him about the progress of judicial reform, the White House said.
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As stated in a message released by the White House press service following the meeting between Biden and Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the US President invited the Israeli Prime Minister “to visit Washington before the end of the year to continue direct interaction on a number of issues.”
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During the meeting, Biden expressed concern to Netanyahu about “any fundamental changes in the Israeli democratic system and the lack of the broadest possible consensus.”
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Netanyahu’s government has faced 37 weeks of unprecedented protests against his overhaul of the country’s legal system. On some days, according to protest organizers, up to half a million people took to the streets of Israeli cities, which is a very significant figure for a country with a population of no more than ten million. Protests are often accompanied by clashes with police, arrests, blocking of highways, transport routes and even the airport.
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Opponents of the changes do not agree with the law adopted in July to abolish the “reasonableness factor.”
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It deprives courts, including the Supreme Court, of the ability to challenge executive decisions that may be considered “beyond the bounds of reason.”
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Advocates for reform say eliminating the “reasonableness standard” is necessary so that a democratically elected government can implement policies that benefit the majority of citizens. Opponents of the law argue that it would make it more difficult for the Supreme Court to intervene in situations where elected officials make arbitrary, extreme or corrupt decisions.
