US President Biden Urges Israel’s Netanyahu To Rethink Judicial Overhaul During New York Meeting

President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to find a compromise on a contentious judicial overhaul during a meeting in New York. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in their first interaction since Netanyahu took office. While reaffirming the “ironclad” US-Israeli relationship, Biden emphasized the need to uphold democratic values, including checks and balances. The US president also encouraged Israel to work toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The meeting, held in a New York hotel room instead of the Oval Office, signaled US concerns about Israel’s new government, particularly its judicial reform proposals. Critics argue these changes weaken Israel’s independent judiciary and risk pushing the country toward authoritarianism. The shift in venue also highlighted strains between the traditional allies. Biden later extended a formal invitation to Netanyahu for a meeting in Washington, tentatively scheduled for November or December.

Despite reassurances of friendship, the informal setting reflected tensions, fueled by Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul and his government’s stance on Palestinian issues. Mass protests in Israel against the overhaul followed Netanyahu to the United States, with hundreds of Israelis also demonstrating outside the US Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv.

(Video: Avi Ohayon/GPO; Sound: Yehezkel Kandil/GPO)