Tag: Benjamin Netanyahu

White House Calls Israel’s Controversial Judicial Overhaul Vote ‘Unfortunate’

The White House issued a statement on July 24 saying it was disappointed that Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, voted that day to approve a highly controversial bill—backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his governing coalition—that reduces the power of its Supreme Court to challenge parliamentary decisions. The bill is part of a broader package…


Israel’s Netanyahu to Be Fitted With Pacemaker After Recent Rush to Hospital

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared on Sunday that he will undergo an emergency procedure to receive a pacemaker. A pacemaker sends electrical pulses to the heart to increase or maintain a person’s heartbeat within the normal range, to allow the heart to pump blood at a normal rate inside the body. The medical device…


Biden Talks With Netanyahu on Iran, Judicial Reform Days Before Israeli President’s Visit

U.S. President Joe Biden talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a wide range of issues—just days before Mr. Biden meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Mr. Biden “underscored his iron-clad, unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and condemned recent acts of terror against Israeli citizens,” according to a readout by the White House on…


Biden Criticizes Israeli Prime Minister’s Cabinet Over ‘Extremist’ Views

President Joe Biden criticized Israel in a recent interview, describing the Cabinet of the Jewish state’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as “extremist.” In an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that aired on Sunday, Mr. Biden acknowledged that Mr. Netanyahu is dealing with the factions in his coalition, but the president also alluded to some members…


ANALYSIS: Isaac Herzog White House Invite Another Snub to Netanyahu

News analysis House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced on June 29 that Israeli President Isaac Herzog will address a joint meeting of Congress on July 19. Reportedly, Mr. Herzog will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden—a continuation of Mr. Biden’s snubbing of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In March, Mr. Biden said he would not…


McCarthy Arrives in Israel on First International Visit as Speaker

HAIFA, Israel—U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) arrived in Israel on April 30 with a 16-member bipartisan congressional delegation. He arrived in Israel at about noon local time following an invitation from the Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. The Knesset is the Israeli parliament. Ohana welcomed McCarthy and the delegation, saying that he looks…


McCarthy Arrives in Israel on 1st International Visit as Speaker

HAIFA, Israel—U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) arrived in Israel on April 30 with a 16-member bipartisan congressional delegation. He arrived in Israel at about noon local time following an invitation from Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. The Knesset is the Israeli parliament. Ohana welcomed McCarthy and the delegation, saying that he looks forward to strengthening…


Israeli Leaders Rebuff Moody’s Outlook Cut, Protests Persist

JERUSALEM—Israel’s government on Saturday rebuffed an outlook downgrade on the country from credit ratings agency Moody’s, while tens of thousands of Israelis returned to the streets to protest against a planned overhaul of the country’s judiciary. Moody’s report issued on Friday marks the latest warning about a potential economic backlash to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s…


Netanyahu Reinstates Israel’s Defense Minister After Firing Him

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on April 10 that he has reinstated his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, after firing him for criticizing the Israeli leader’s efforts to change the country’s judiciary. “In the last days, we worked together and stood together around the clock on all the fronts against the security challenges,” Netanyahu told…


PREMIERING NOW: What’s the Deal With Protests in Israel?–Professor Eugene Kontorovich on Supreme Court Power Grabs, US Involvement, and Where the Real Danger to Democracy Lies

“Amazingly, President Biden is warning Israel that allowing politicians to be involved in nominating judges is going to perhaps affect our shared democratic values. Well, of course, in America, politicians do exactly that.” Eugene Kontorovich is a scholar of international law, an expert in the Israeli-Arab conflict, and a professor at George Washington University’s Scalia…