Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to criticism from German Chancellor Olaf Sholz about his proposed judicial reforms, noting that Germany, too, uses politicians to select the country’s judges.
Currently, Israeli judges are selected by a commission largely composed of judges and lawyers. Criticsthat the process produces ideological conformity, allowing the secular, Ashkenazi elite to entrench judicial power.
The Israeli left, however, has stirred international concern with disruptive protests against the reforms, in which opposition leaders haveIn an opening statement during a joint press conference in Berlin after the two leaders met, Scholz commented on the judicial reforms: “I must not hide from you the fact that we are concerned about that. The independence of the judiciary is a precious democratic asset.”Israel is a liberal democracy, and will remain a liberal democracy.
“Israel is not going to abolish democratic principles. If the ‘democratic principle’ that we’re about to abolish is that judges do not elect judges, do not have the veto power over electing judges, then none of your — Germany is not following democratic principles, because judges do not have veto power in Germany. They don’t have veto power in many other countries. So it’s absurd.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israeli protesters paint 'red line' leading to Supreme Court after Netanyahu spurns compromiseJerusalem woke on Thursday to the sight of a long red line painted by protesters along roads leading to Israel's Supreme Court, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a compromise deal for his government's planned judicial overhaul.
Read more »
Former Israeli premier urges world leaders to shun NetanyahuIsrael’s former prime minister on Thursday urged world leaders to shun Israel’s current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he presses ahead with a plan to overhaul the country's justice system. The United States and Germany, two of Israel’s closest allies, called on Netanyahu to slow down. Ehud Olmert, who served as prime minister from 2006-2009, told The Associated Press that global leaders should refuse to meet with Netanyahu.
Read more »
Germany's Scholz urges Bibi to consider Israeli president's judicial compromiseGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he expressed concern to Netanyahu over the Israeli government's judicial overhaul plan and called on him to consider a compromise proposal put together by the Israeli president.
Read more »
No White House visit for Israel's Netanyahu as US concern risesWASHINGTON (Reuters) -Eleven weeks into his third stint as Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to be received at the White House, signaling apparent U.S. unhappiness over the policies of his right-wing government. Most new Israeli leaders had visited the United States or met the president by this point in their premierships, according to a Reuters review of official visits going back to the late 1970s. The White House declined to confirm Netanyahu has yet to be invited.
Read more »
No White House visit for Israel's Netanyahu as US concern risesEleven weeks into his third stint as Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to be received at the White House, signaling apparent U.S. unhappiness over the policies of his right-wing government.
Read more »