Biden, Netanyahu exchange views on judicial overhaul plan via call

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Axios
19 Jul 2023 11:39

Biden reportedly urged Netanyahu to get broad consensus over the reforms but the advice was met with opposition on part of Netanyahu.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a weekly cabinet meeting in his office in Jerusalem on June 25 (AFP)

Axios reported on Wednesday that during a phone conversation held between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the two exchanged views on the judicial overhaul legislation which has been wreaking havoc in "Israel" amid opposition from settlers.

According to the report, Biden reportedly urged Netanyahu to get a broad consensus over the reforms but the advice was met with opposition on the part of Netanyahu who told Biden that he didn't see the proposed bill as a 'big deal.'

He further said that he would really want to get a consensus but has no one to speak to with regards to the matter as there is no one among the opposition willing to go against the protest movement.

This comes just after Netanyahu announced last Sunday that he will be resuming the legislation after the opposition suspended the talks with the government over the judicial overhaul a few weeks prior.

Saudi-Israeli normalization

The two also discussed the possibility of normalizing relations between "Israel" and Saudi Arabia.

However, Biden told Netanyahu that there was a need "to set the right conditions and context in the [occupied] West Bank," the report states.

While Netanyahu agreed with Biden on this matter, Biden also brought to the Israeli Prime Minister's attention that the expansion of settlements was cause for concern.

Netanyahu said that so far there have only been plans to create new settlements, but no actual building took place.

There aren’t going to be any more plans approved by the end of the year, he added.

Sources told Axios that a meeting between the two leaders will likely take place before the end of the year.