Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired the Israeli Defense Minister for his objections to the judicial reform, and this has not only caused widespread protests in Tel Aviv, but has also concerned the White House, writes Politico.
Washington called on Israeli leaders to find a compromise as soon as possible to stabilize the situation in the country. The representative of the US National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, informed that the White House is really concerned about the situation in Israel.
The unrest in Israel began when Netanyahu returned to a far-right government and announced plans to begin reforms to the judicial system.
Netanyahu’s proposed changes will effectively strip Israel’s highest court of its independence
and largely render the country’s judiciary powerless, as the government will be able to push laws that judges cannot and will not overturn or review. Protests against the possible changes have been going on for weeks. Opponents have criticized Netanyahu’s plan as anti-democratic and said the changes would give Netanyahu enormous power at a time when he is facing criminal charges.
On Saturday, the 25th of March, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke out against the reforms, and a day later, on the 26th of March, Netanyahu fired him. Immediately afterward, protests erupted in Israel’s major cities.
Media reported that protesters in Tel Aviv blocked a main street and lit bonfires,
while in Jerusalem people gathered outside Netanyahu’s house.
The US has stated that it does not agree with Netanyahu’s current policy, but it will not disrupt the relationship between the two countries. Given the US’s close relationship with Israel, and the US’s general approach to avoid criticizing its Middle Eastern ally, the White House statement was also relatively moderate. Washington is aware that this government led by Netanyahu is particularly radical, but hoped that the prime minister would be able to rein it in. Netanyahu has said that the far-right coalition has joined him, not the other way around, and that he is in control.
Therefore, the White House has indicated that the prime minister will have to take responsibility for what is happening. However, the US is also well aware of the problems Netanyahu is currently facing. Among them is the Prime Minister’s desire to avoid further investigation of corruption charges, which could be one of the reasons why he agreed to satisfy the wishes of the coalition partners.