Biden criticizes the approval of the first law of the Israeli judicial reform

July 24 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The US president, Joe Biden, has criticized this Monday the approval in the Israeli Parliament by “the smallest possible majority” of the first norm of the judicial reform promoted by the Government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“It is unfortunate that today’s vote took place with the slimmest possible majority,” the White House has published in an official statement.

The statement recalls that Biden is a “lifelong friend of Israel”, but has argued that “important changes in a democracy must have the widest possible consensus to be lasting.”

“We understand that there are contacts and that they will probably continue in the coming weeks and months to try to forge a broader agreement even during the recess of the Knesset” or Israeli Parliament, Washington added.

In that sense, “the United States will continue to support the attempts of President (Isaac) Herzog and other Israeli leaders who seek to build a broader consensus through political dialogue,” he added.

The Knesset has approved this Monday the law that annuls the so-called reasonableness clause, which until now enabled the courts to annul a government decision if it considers that it goes against the democratic system.

The law has been approved with 64 of the 120 favorable votes of the Knesset and zero votes against, since the opposition has left the plenary session in protest against the initiative and while tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the norm in the vicinity of the parliament headquarters.