Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday deemed
criticism of his controversial justice reform project "
grotesque
" and "
absurd ".
“
I am supposed to be a potentate who abolishes democracy.
It won't take long to realize that it's absurd, it's grotesque
,” the Israeli leader said at a joint press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told his Israeli counterpart Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday to follow “
with great concern
” the debates around the controversial reform of the justice system in Israel.
“
As a partner of democratic values and a close friend of Israel, we are following very closely the debates
” concerning this reform, seen by its detractors as an anti-democratic drift, “
and, I will not hide it, with great concern
” , said the chancellor at a joint press conference in Berlin with the Israeli prime minister.
"
The independence of justice is a great democratic good, we agree on this point, it is a good thing
", declared Mr. Scholz.
Risk of civil war
The German considered "
valuable
" the mediation efforts of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who warned of the risk of a "
civil war
".
Mr. Netanyahu and his coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties on Wednesday opposed a rejection of the draft compromise drawn up by Mr. Herzog on the judicial reform project which intends to limit the prerogatives of the Supreme Court and which deeply divides the country.
“
We would rejoice as a friend of Israel if the last word had not been said on this proposal
,” Scholz stressed.
Mr Netanyahu for his part categorically rejected any danger to the country's democracy.
His trip has put the German government under pressure, with opponents even demanding that Berlin cancel the visit.
Germany and Israel forged strong diplomatic ties in the decades following World War II, with Berlin pledging to preserve the Israeli state after the Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany.
Successive German governments have described Israel's national security as a key foreign policy priority, which Scholz reiterated on Thursday.
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