Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday rebuffed U.S. President Joe Biden’s call earlier in the day to “walk away” from his government’s judicial reform push.
“Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends,” said Netanyahu.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, Biden said that “like many strong supporters of Israel, I am very concerned [by the judicial reform plan]. I am concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. I have sort of made that clear,” adding, “I hope he walks away from it.”
Biden denied meddling in domestic Israeli affairs, telling reporters, “They know my position. They know America’s position. They know the American Jewish position.”
The U.S. president also shot down reports that Netanyahu would soon be invited to the White House.
On Monday, following Netanyahu’s announcement of a temporary halt to the judicial reform legislation, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides hinted that the Israeli premier would soon receive his first White House invitation since retaking office for the sixth time in late December.
However, in response to a reporter’s question about whether such an invitation would be extended, Biden replied, “No. Not in the near term.”
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