America’s strong relationship with Israel is based in part on the democratic nature of the state, US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday as she added her voice to those who have opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reform process.
"We have a long and enduring relationship, the US and Israel, based on a number of factors that include an intertwined history,” Harris said.
This relates “to shared principles in terms of the importance of democracy, and we will continue to work on strengthening our relationship based on that-a commitment to democracies and of course, an intertwined and shared history," Harris told reporters.
When asked if she was concerned by the judicial overall process, she said, "I am. We're all watching it.”
Other US politicians who have taken a stance on the judicial reform plan
She spoke out one day after US President Joe Biden stated his opposition to the judicial reform plan, which critics fear will transform Israel from a democracy into a dictatorship.
Biden told reporters he wanted Netanyahu to put a halt to the government’s fast-tracking of the legislation through the Knesset, and to make any changes through a consensus process that involved both the coalition and the opposition.
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told CNN that he was glad Biden spoke out. “I have been concerned about the ongoing efforts of the new Netanyahu government, which is an extreme right-wing government to undermine an independent judiciary in Israel. One of the important hallmarks of a democracy is the rule of law and an independent judiciary, so the effort to hobble that is concerning,” he said.
Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, who is running for Republican Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley in contrast criticized Biden for his stand against Israel’s judicial reform.
"It’s outrageous for Joe Biden to lecture Israel on a matter that is entirely their domestic concern," she tweeted. "We would never want the Israeli government to push America on issues surrounding our Supreme Court, and they wouldn’t do it. We should let Israelis decide this themselves."