Over 100 Former Israeli Diplomats Warn Netanyahu on New Government Policies

Over 100 former Israeli diplomates, including ambassadors to foreign countries, sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanayhu warning him that the far-right policies the government is reported to be planning to enact will cause “serious damage to Israel’s foreign relations, its international standing and its core interests abroad emanating from what will apparently be the policy of the incoming government.”

The letter also said that the diplomats were concerned that such hard-line legislation could damage Israel’s relationship with the United States and harm the normalization agreements known as the Abraham Accords that Israel signed with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. In addition, they expressed concern about damage that could occur to the relations between Israel and Diaspora communities.

Meanwhile, nearly 80 retired Israeli judges signed an open letter warning that legislation planned to curb the judiciary, including passing an override clause that would let the Knesset reinstate laws invalidated by the court, will endanger Israel’s democracy, by eroding citizens’ rights and eliminating the checks and balances on government power. The legislation could also damage Israel’s moral standing in the rest of the world.