“Day of the Resistance” in Israel – President Herzog meets Biden Four people shot dead in Georgia – suspected gunman dead

President Izchak Herzog will be received by US President Joe Biden in Washington this Tuesday during a major day of protest in Israel. The meeting highlights the currently tense relationship between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been waiting months for his inaugural visit to the White House. On Monday, the US government vaguely announced that the two would meet in the US in the fall. At the same time, she clearly expressed her concerns about the planned restructuring of the Israeli judiciary and some members of Netanyahu’s cabinet.

Judicial reforms are once again putting thousands on the streets

Netanyahu’s coalition has been planning for months to specifically weaken the country’s independent judiciary. She accuses her of having too much influence on political decisions. In the coming week, a major part of the reform to curtail the Supreme Court will be passed at second and third readings. Critics see the separation of powers and thus democracy in danger. Some even warn of the creeping introduction of a dictatorship.

The protest movement in Israel against the planned restructuring of the judiciary declared a “Day of Resistance” for Tuesday. During the day, rallies and disruptive actions take place all over the country. The organizers are also calling on the US to use its influence and dissuade the government from its controversial plans. Ben Caspit of the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv described Herzog’s visit to the US as a “rescue mission”. The US has traditionally been Israel’s closest ally, providing the country with billions of dollars in defense every year.

Biden also wants to talk to Herzog about democratic values

During the meeting with Herzog, Biden not only wanted to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security, the US government said. She confirmed that the highly controversial reform plans should also be discussed. Biden wanted to speak about the importance of shared democratic values ​​and how to promote freedom, prosperity and security for both Palestinians and Israelis. Herzog said he would also talk about “internal challenges” in the United States. For months he has been trying to find a compromise between the government and the opposition – so far without success. Unlike in the United States, the president in Israel mainly has a representative function.

The protest movement is one of the largest in the history of Israel, a country of about 10 million people, and includes broad sections of society. Opposition to the government is also growing within the Israeli army. Several thousand reservists have already threatened to disengage if part of the judicial reform is passed. A large part of the Israeli army consists of reservists. Netanyahu described the potential conscientious objection as “illegitimate” and stressed that “the safety of all Israeli citizens” is at risk.

Relations between Israel and the US under scrutiny

In Israel, a recent comment in the New York Times by author Thomas L. Friedman entitled “The United States Reassessment of the Netanyahu Administration Has Begun” caused a stir. Friedman warns that the US administration is increasingly concerned about Netanyahu’s policies and is reconsidering its previous relationship with the country. Israeli observers expressed similar concerns. A sign of this was also seen in Netanyahu’s failure to invite to the White House.

In a phone call Monday, Biden and Netanyahu agreed to meet in the fall, which some observers interpreted as a sign of relaxation. Although Netanyahu’s office discussed the invitation to the US after the talk, which was described as “long and cordial”, the White House did not confirm until journalists asked that there would be “likely” a meeting before the end of the year. Kirby also warned of overestimating the phone call and planned meeting: concerns about the planned restructuring of the judiciary and “extremist actions” by some cabinet members had not abated. During the conversation, Biden also expressed concern to Netanyahu about settlement expansion, according to the White House.

In a recent interview with CNN, Biden openly criticized Netanyahu’s cabinet, calling some members extreme. Particularly problematic are “those who say, ‘We can settle where we want'”. Referring to Netanyahu, whom he nicknamed, Biden added:

The government of Israel continues to build settlements

Netanyahu’s coalition is the most right-wing in Israel’s history. Several ministers represent right-wing extremist views and want to continue en masse with the controversial construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank. More new Israeli homes have been approved in the occupied Palestinian territories since the government took office, according to the human rights organization Peace Now, than at any time since measurements began in 2012.

Biden is known as an opponent of the Israeli settlement policy, which the administration of his predecessor Donald Trump supported. When Netanyahu took office, he warned that the United States would “continue to support the two-state solution and to oppose policies that jeopardize its viability or run counter to our common interests and values.”

During the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Today, about 600,000 Israelis live in more than 200 settlements. The Palestinians claim the areas as part of their own state. (saw/sda/dpa)