US President Joe Biden intends to invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a visit to Washington by the end of the year, but his conditions for the visit have not changed, Channel 12 News reported on Friday.
According to the report, the Americans are unfazed by Netanyahu’s watered down outline for the judicial reform, as he presented in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, and insist that the judicial reform be approved with a broad consensus.
An official at the US State Department told Channel 13 News on Friday that "President Biden was clear in his position, that he hopes that Prime Minister Netanyahu will strive for a compromise and advance moves only with broad agreement".
Netanyahu said in Thursday’s interview that he had already changed several things from the original reform proposal, including doing away with the proposed Override Clause, which would allow the Knesset to override a Supreme Court decision with a simple majority. He stated that the clause is out and will not return, even with a supermajority.
The Prime Minister also told The Wall Street Journal that the Judicial Selection Committee would not remain in its current form, yet it would not be changed to the extent that was proposed in the original outline, which would have granted the coalition a substantial majority on the committee.
US officials have repeatedly opined that any changes to the judicial reform in Israel should be implemented with the agreement of both the government and the opposition.
Just last week, a US National Security Council spokesperson said, "The President has said consistently, both privately and publicly, that fundamental reforms like these require a broad basis of support to be durable and sustained, and we hope there will be genuine compromise."
"Ultimately, it is up to Israelis to find the best path forward. But as close friends of Israel, we urge them to reach a compromise with the broadest possible base of popular support. We look forward to working with Israel to advance the interests and democratic values that have been at the heart of our relationship for decades," added the spokesperson.
US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said on Tuesday that he does not believe Netanyahu will move forward with the entire judicial reform plan unilaterally because the public reaction will be "dramatic", as he put it.
In March, Biden offered very harsh criticism of Israel, saying he is “very concerned” about the goings on in light of the judicial reform and adding, “They cannot continue down this road.”
Biden also added he will not be inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in the near term.
Netanyahu later responded to Biden and said, “The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us.”
He also stressed that “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.”
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
