[[{"content_id":375480,"content_number":0,"portal_id":2,"lang_id":"en","content_title":"Tension boiling over as Biden, Netanyahu trade words on judicial overhaul","content_rtitr":"","content_short_title":null,"content_summary":"As US president Joe Biden has dramatically escalated pressure on the Israeli regime’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to drop the controversial judicial reforms, Netanyahu responded by saying Israel rejects “pressure from abroad”; a trade of words signaling that US-Israeli relations are in crisis mode.","content_summary_fill":1,"content_body":"Biden said on Tuesday that he is not going to invite Netanyahu &ldquo;in the near term&rdquo; to the White House, adding that Israel cannot continue down this road with its so-called judicial reforms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis is the first time Biden publicly speaks about the judicial overhaul, which has led hundreds of thousands of illegal Israeli settlers to the streets in protest.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&ldquo;Like many strong supporters of Israel, I&rsquo;m very concerned. I&rsquo;m concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. I&rsquo;ve sort of made that clear,&rdquo; Biden said in North Carolina, where he was kicking off his &ldquo;Investing in America&rdquo; tour.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&ldquo;Hopefully the prime minister will act in a way that he will try to work out some genuine compromise, but that remains to be seen,&rdquo; he added.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNetanyahu was quick to fire back and tell Biden that Israel rejects pressure coming from abroad, by that meaning the US administration.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&ldquo;Israel is an independent country that takes decisions based on the will of its citizens and not based on external pressure, including from our best friends,&rdquo; the Israeli prime minister said.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHowever, Biden&rsquo;s relationship with Netanyahu is rooted in part in his longstanding love and support for Israel. After firing back at Biden, Netanyahu said the Israel-US alliance is unbreakable &ldquo;and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us.&rdquo;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEarlier, the White House called on the Israeli regime&rsquo;s officials in a statement to immediately come up with a &ldquo;compromise&rdquo; to resolve the weeks-long crisis in the occupied territories over Netanyahu&rsquo;s widely-bashed judicial reforms.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSince January, Netanyahu has vowed to move further with a plan to give him greater control over the Supreme Court, which could allow his far-right administration to end the corruption trial against him.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNetanyahu announced on Monday evening that he was temporarily freezing the bill that would alter the makeup of Israel&rsquo;s judicial system. However, he said he was determined to pass the judicial reform plan.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHe spoke after tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated outside the Knesset and workers launched a general strike in a dramatic escalation of the mass protest movement aimed at halting his plan.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe chaos shut down most cities and threatened to paralyze the economy, with flights suspended at Ben Gurion International Airport and work halted at main seaports.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIsraeli protesters, for their part, vowed to press ahead with demonstrations across the occupied territories as long as the legislation continues.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&ldquo;As long as the legislation continues and is not shelved, we will be on the streets,&rdquo; Shikma Bressler, one of the main leaders of the protest movement, said after Netanyahu made the announcement in a televised address on Monday.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe ongoing protests reflect the deep divide among the Israelis and the growing number opposed to Netanyahu.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNetanyahu had said the so-called judicial reform will stop the courts from over-reaching their powers, but critics say they will help him as he faces an ongoing trial for corruption.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;","content_html":"<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Biden said on Tuesday that he is not going to invite Netanyahu &ldquo;in the near term&rdquo; to the White House, adding that Israel cannot continue down this road with its so-called judicial reforms.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">This is the first time Biden publicly speaks about the judicial overhaul, which has led hundreds of thousands of illegal Israeli settlers to the streets in protest.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">&ldquo;Like many strong supporters of Israel, I&rsquo;m very concerned. I&rsquo;m concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. I&rsquo;ve sort of made that clear,&rdquo; Biden said in North Carolina, where he was kicking off his &ldquo;Investing in America&rdquo; tour.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">&ldquo;Hopefully the prime minister will act in a way that he will try to work out some genuine compromise, but that remains to be seen,&rdquo; he added.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Netanyahu was quick to fire back and tell Biden that Israel rejects pressure coming from abroad, by that meaning the US administration.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">&ldquo;Israel is an independent country that takes decisions based on the will of its citizens and not based on external pressure, including from our best friends,&rdquo; the Israeli prime minister said.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">However, Biden&rsquo;s relationship with Netanyahu is rooted in part in his longstanding love and support for Israel. After firing back at Biden, Netanyahu said the Israel-US alliance is unbreakable &ldquo;and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Earlier, the White House called on the Israeli regime&rsquo;s officials in a statement to immediately come up with a &ldquo;compromise&rdquo; to resolve the weeks-long crisis in the occupied territories over Netanyahu&rsquo;s widely-bashed judicial reforms.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Since January, Netanyahu has vowed to move further with a plan to give him greater control over the Supreme Court, which could allow his far-right administration to end the corruption trial against him.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Netanyahu announced on Monday evening that he was temporarily freezing the bill that would alter the makeup of Israel&rsquo;s judicial system. However, he said he was determined to pass the judicial reform plan.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">He spoke after tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated outside the Knesset and workers launched a general strike in a dramatic escalation of the mass protest movement aimed at halting his plan.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The chaos shut down most cities and threatened to paralyze the economy, with flights suspended at Ben Gurion International Airport and work halted at main seaports.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Israeli protesters, for their part, vowed to press ahead with demonstrations across the occupied territories as long as the legislation continues.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">&ldquo;As long as the legislation continues and is not shelved, we will be on the streets,&rdquo; Shikma Bressler, one of the main leaders of the protest movement, said after Netanyahu made the announcement in a televised address on Monday.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The ongoing protests reflect the deep divide among the Israelis and the growing number opposed to Netanyahu.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Netanyahu had said the so-called judicial reform will stop the courts from over-reaching their powers, but critics say they will help him as he faces an ongoing trial for corruption.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","content_source":"","content_url":"","content_date_start":"2023-03-29 13:09:15","content_date_event":"2023-03-29 13:09:15","content_date_event_start":null,"content_date_event_end":null,"content_show_title_slider":1,"content_date_last_edit":"2023-03-29 13:09:47","content_date_register":"2023-03-29 13:09:47","content_columns":0,"content_show_img":1,"content_show_details":0,"content_show_related_img":0,"content_show_slider":1,"content_comment":1,"content_score":0,"tag_id":0,"score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"uid":43,"eid":0,"attach_title":"Tension boiling over as Biden, Netanyahu trade words on judicial overhaul","attaches":[{"sizes":{"150":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202303\/512864_2915939638_150_85.webp","300":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202303\/512864_2915939638_300_169.webp","400":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202303\/512864_2915939638_400_226.webp","600":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202303\/512864_2915939638_600_338.webp","900":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202303\/512864_2915939638_798_450.png","1200":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202303\/512864_2915939638_798_450.png"},"ext":"png","file_media":1,"token":2915939638,"files":{"original":{"url":".\/file\/2\/attach\/202303\/512864_2915939638.png","width":798,"height":450,"size":0}}}]}]]