Biden: Passage of Israeli judicial reform bill ‘unfortunate’

“It is unfortunate that the vote today took place with the slimmest possible majority.”

By Meir Dolev, World Israel News

President Joe Biden administration on Monday slammed Israel’s government for passing the ‘reasonableness’ law earlier in the day.

“President Biden has publicly and privately expressed his views that major changes in a democracy to be enduring must have as broad a consensus as possible,” the White House said in a statement.

“It is unfortunate that the vote today took place with the slimmest possible majority.”

“We urge Israeli leaders to work toward a consensus-based approach through political dialogue.”

Hours before Knesset vote, Biden pushed to delay it, saying it was becoming “more divisive, not less.”

“Given the range of threats and challenges confronting Israel right now, it doesn’t make sense for Israeli leaders to rush this — the focus should be on pulling people together and finding consensus.”

According to Axios, the Pentagon is concerned that the bill’s passage “could have negative implications for Israel’s deterrence strategy since more than 11,000 reservists announced their intention to suspend their volunteer duties in the army.

“The crisis, especially within the Israeli Air Force, could also have negative operational implications for U.S. forces that closely cooperate with Israel in the region,” the Axios report stated

The new law bans “reasonableness” as a justification for Supreme Court judges to reverse decisions made by the elected officials.

Israel’s top court is considered among the most interventionist in the world.

Joe BidenJudicial reformKnessetUS Mideast policyUS-Israel relations