Biden Warns Netanyahu to Abandon Judicial Reform Bill

Israel’s courts have used the “reasonableness” doctrine to block actions by the conservative governments that have been elected frequently by Israeli voters in the past several decades. Left-wing protesters have taken to the streets across the country, and thousands of military reservists have declared that they will not serve if the bill passes. But the tactics of the opposition seem only to have motivated Netanyahu to press ahead with the vote.

The overall reform package includes at least four proposals, many of which parallel existing judicial practice in the U.S. and other democracies. Netanyahu paused the legislative process this spring after similarly vehement protests, and invited the opposition parties to negotiate a compromise. But when talks broke down, he decided — as promised — to press ahead, albeit in piecemeal fashion, with the least controversial proposal moving first.

Last week, after a visit by Israel’s ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, Biden suggested that the “special relationship” between the U.S. and Israel could be in danger if the reforms passed. Herzog told Congress the opposite: in an address to a special joint session, Herzog said that “we will always be family,” despite disputes.