Netanyahu and Sullivan
Netanyahu and SullivanKobi Gideon/GPO

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed a message of reassurance to the US administration regarding the reform of the judicial system, Channel 12 News reported on Sunday.

According to the report, during his meeting last week with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Netanyahu said that "as far as I’m concerned, the legal reform will pass with broad consensus, it will not pass as it is presented now."

Sullivan told Netanyahu about the administration's concerns over the reform as it was presented to the American officials. "The liberal-democratic public and we as an administration do not like the direction you are going in with regard to the legal reform. If there is a violation of democratic values, it will make it difficult for us to provide unwavering and unqualified support to Israel," he said, according to the report.

The report further said that the advisor made clear to Netanyahu that the US administration sees him as a leader after he promised that he would lead the government "with both hands on the wheel".

Meanwhile, Channel 13 News reported on Sunday that the US Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, has in recent weeks held several meetings with Israeli officials, among other things with current politicians, regarding the judicial reform.

In one of the meetings held about two weeks ago, which also dealt with security aspects, Nides expressed a great interest in understanding the latest government moves, and according to one of those present in the room, he said there that "Israel's internal moves are its business."

Nides was recently asked in an interview with Kan 11 News about Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s judicial reforms and replied, “I’m not here to involve ourselves in the judicial process of Israel. The Israeli people don’t want to be lectured by America.”

Nides added, “We have shared values. We’ll let the Israeli public articulate their support or their dismay. That’s up to them. It’s not up to the United States to be commenting on the judicial issues that they face.”