Israeli parliament passed a controversial law stripping the Supreme Court of its power to block government decisions sparking protests. The drama is likely to further worsen the longstanding but increasingly brittle relationship between President Joe Biden and Netanyahu. The Biden administration has made no secret of its concern over Netanyahus renewed effort to push through judicial reforms. Still theres no sense that the US alliance with Israel is under threat. There is overwhelming support in Congress for US security assistance to Israel worth billions of dollars a year. But there is deep concern in the White House about the implications of any successful attempt to subvert checks and balances in Israel. This might lead to increasingly extreme policies on the scope of settlement building in the West Bank that contradict US foreign policy goals. It could ignite conflict and destabilize the region causing issues for other US allies like Jordan. If the rightwing coalition in Israel finds it easier to implement policies curtailing the rights of LGBTQ people Arab citizens or secular Israelis it could trigger new tensions in USIsraeli relations. And Washingtons national security interests could be harmed by chaos in Israeli society or any conditions that might create a political incentive for Netanyahu to embrace more aggressive policies abroad possibly over Iran that could trigger foreign policy crises. This omission is especially glaring since the Israeli leader Isaac Herzog was invited to the Oval Office last week to celebrate US relations with Israel. However there are no signs that there will be any firm date for a visit to the US by the Israeli prime minister to celebrate the US-Israeli relations in the term of the next president. The US president has made safeguarding democracy in the US and abroad a core value of his presidency. Similar fears that democratic guardrails are crumbling have shaped American politics ever since Trump swept into power in then used his station to try to overturn an election he lost in . Now Trump is targeting a return to the White house and promising retribution against judicial and political institutions that tempered his wish to wield strongman power. But opponents of Netanyahu’s reforms warn that weakening the power of Israels Supreme Court will compromise checks on the authority of the most rightwing government in the countrys history which would pave the way to extremist policies. Martin Indyk a former US ambassador to Israel voiced the fears of many longtime US supporters in Israel over an apparent crack in Israeli democracy. Its a very dark day for Israel. In its year history it hasnt faced this kind of threat to its unity caused by an extremist government thats pushing an antidemocratic legislative agenda thats generating huge opposition. He also issued an unusually frank statement on Sunday arguing that given the range of threats and challenges confronting Israel now it does not make sense for Israeli leaders to rush the focus on pulling the focus together and finding a consensus. He said that the Knesset lacks an upper House a constitutional device that many nations use as a way of checking power of a radical executive executive. He added that the vote was unfortunate and called for consensus to be called for. But he added that there is no sign that a firm date has yet been set for a meeting between Netanyahu and Biden to discuss the matter.
Powerful right-wing radicals are testing democratic checks and balance in both Israel and the US. The U.S. is a democracy, but Israel is not. Israel is a country, but it is a state.
