The White House on Thursday reiterated its concerns over the Israeli government's proposed judicial reforms.
“The genius of our democracy — and frankly Israel’s democracy — is that they’re built on strong institutions, that they include checks and balances that foster an independent judiciary,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. “We support President Herzog’s ongoing effort to seek a solution that is consistent with those same democratic principles.”
The Biden Administration has spoken out on the judicial reforms several times in recent months.
Last month, US President Joe Biden told New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman: “The genius of American democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, on an independent judiciary."
"Building consensus for fundamental changes is really important to ensure that the people buy into them so they can be sustained," the President added.
"This is the first time I can recall a U.S. president has ever weighed in on an internal Israeli debate about the very character of the country’s democracy", Friedman wrote, "And although it’s only 46 words, Biden’s statement comes at a crucial time in this wrenching Israeli internal discussion."
Last week, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Israel and met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. During the meeting, he said that the US-Israel bond "is rooted in far more than just shared interests. It's rooted in the shared values of democracy and freedom and the rule of law. And those values remain essential. As Biden has said, the genius of American Democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, and on an independent judiciary."