The United States and the United Kingdom welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to pause the juice reform process to allow time to reach a consensus with the opposition on the plane.
“We welcome this announcement as an opportunity to create additional time and space for compromise,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of delaying the judicial overhaul.
“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.
“We believe that it is the best path forward for Israel and all of its citizens to find this compromise,” Jean-Pierre said.“Democratic societies are strengthened by checks and balances and fundamental changes to a democratic system should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support. And so that's what we're going to continue to call for,” she added.
International concerns over the judicial reform
The United States has been fairly outspoken with respect to its concern over the overhaul plan, which critics have warned would transform Israel from a democracy to a dictatorship. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued the reform will strengthen Israeli democracy.
Both US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US President Joe Biden have raised their concerns about the judicial overhaul with Netanyahu, as have other top diplomates and world leaders.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has warned Netanyahu against a majority rule democracy that does not protect the rights of minorities and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has underscored the importance democracy plays in British-Israeli ties.
British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said Monday “the UK enjoys a deep and historic relationship with Israel. As the Prime Minister stressed in his meeting with PM Netanyahu last week, it is vital that the shared democratic values that underpin that relationship are upheld, and a robust system of checks and balances are preserved.”
“We urge all parties to find common ground and seek a long-term compromise to this sensitive issue,” he said.
Jewish Groups welcome judicial overhaul pause
Several major Jewish groups issued a statement on Monday, welcoming the prime minister's announcement of ahalt of the judicial overhaul.
The groups - JFNA, the Anti Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and the Conference of Presidents, said in a statement that “the last three months have been painful to watch and yet a textbook case of democracy in action.”
“We respect the political leaders, business executives, community activists, cultural figures, and ordinary Israelis who took to the streets, exercising their love of country, and their passion for democracy,” the Jewish groups said.
They went on to say that as a next step, they “encourage all Knesset factions, coalition and opposition alike, to use this time to build a consensus that includes the broad support of Israeli civil society.”
“Israel’s political leaders must insist on a more respectful tone and debate. A hallmark of democracy is public consensus and mutual consideration,” the statement reads.
“AJC, the Conference of Presidents, the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federations of North America will continue to confer with Israel’s governmental and civic leaders to ensure that the views of American Jewry are represented in the discussion,” they wrote. We are confident the resilience of Israeli democracy will successfully overcome the tremendous challenges it faces.”