Biden walks tightrope as Israel’s democracy tested
The judicial overhaul pursued by Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition has bitterly divided Israeli society and cast further strain on US-Israel ties.
WASHINGTON — In 2014, then-Vice President Joe Biden recalled once signing a photo for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the inscription: “Bibi, I don’t agree with a damn thing you say but I love you.”
Nearly a decade later, the limits of that love-hate relationship are being tested.
As Netanyahu plows ahead with a controversial effort to weaken the country’s judiciary, Biden is left to balance his support for Israel with his disdain for the most right-wing government in its history.
On Monday, Israel’s parliament gave its final approval to the first part of Netanyahu’s planned judicial overhaul, passing a measure that would prevent the Supreme Court from striking down government decisions and appointments deemed "unreasonable."
