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White House Urges Israeli Government to Respect Peaceful Protests [1]

['Ben Samuels']

Date: 2023-07-11

WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Tuesday urged Israeli authorities to respect and protect pro-democracy protesters during a day when nationwide demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul brought the country to a standstill.

“As the Administration has said, both U.S. and Israeli democracy are built on strong institutions, checks and balances, and an independent judiciary,” a National Security Council spokesperson told Haaretz hours after Israel advanced a key piece of legislation enfeebling Israel’s judiciary.

“The president has said consistently, both privately and publicly, that fundamental reforms like this require a broad basis of support to be durable and sustained. The President has been clear he hopes Prime Minister Netanyahu will work to find a genuine compromise,” the spokesperson added, echoing U.S. President Joe Biden’s condemnation of the “most extreme” Israeli government he has seen in his decades in political life.

Open gallery view Anti-government protesters demonstrate in Jerusalem on Tuesday evening. Credit: Shira Diamant

“We continue to urge a consensus-based approach towards judicial reform, a point the President underscored again this past weekend. We urge authorities to protect and respect the right of peaceful assembly,” the spokesperson continued.

“It is clear there is significant debate and discussion in Israel on the proposed plan. Such debates are a healthy part of a vibrant democracy,” they added.

Senior Biden advisor Amos Hochstein, meanwhile, met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss a variety of regional and bilateral relations. He is the second senior U.S. official to be greeted with mass protests, months after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was forced to dramatically alter the itinerary of his visit due to similar protests.

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets for a “Day of Resistance” on Tuesday to protest the passing of the first reading of the bill canceling the judiciary’s reasonableness clause.

Dozens of demonstrators were arrested across the country as protesters clashed with police. Over 10,000 people came to protest at Ben-Gurion International Airport and over 1,000 people surrounded the U.S. consulate in Tel Aviv.

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[1] Url: https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2023-07-11/ty-article/.premium/white-house-urges-israeli-government-to-respect-peaceful-protests/00000189-45c7-de83-adc9-cfd7e0d70000

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