Jewish members of Congress to the ambassador in Washington: if the legal revolution passes, we will have difficulty defending Israel - voila! news

In the video: Netanyahu alludes to the USA: "I reassure our friends - we were and will remain a democracy" (Walla system!)

Israel's ambassador to Washington, Mike Herzog, had a very difficult meeting two weeks ago with a group of Jewish members of Congress from the Democratic Party, who expressed to him deep concern that the government's plan to weaken the justice system would harm Israeli democracy and noted that in such a situation they would find it difficult to come to Israel's defense in the US, according to Monday Israeli officials who comment on the contents of the meeting and three members of Congress who participated in it.

why is it important

• The meeting between the members of Congress and the Israeli ambassador was closed and details about it have not been published so far.

  The events at the meeting indicated the high level of anxiety among supporters of Israel in the Democratic Party, especially those who belong to the Jewish community in the US, regarding the government's plan to weaken the judicial system and the negative effects it may have on relations between Israel and the US.

• The messages of concern that the members of Congress voiced at the meeting were similar to those voiced by senior officials in the Biden administration when it comes to concerns about the future of Israeli democracy.

  President Biden himself raised these concerns in the phone conversation he had with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Sunday.

They fear that the legal revolution will have a "negative effect on Israel-US relations" (Photo: official website, Ra'anan Cohen)

Behind the Scenes

• Two senior Israeli officials briefed on the matter said that the meeting was attended by over 20 Jewish members of Congress from the Democratic Party who strongly criticized the government's plan to weaken the justice system.

  "It was a difficult meeting," they said.

• Two members of Congress who attended the meeting said the discussion was "honest and direct" and that all participants expressed concerns that mirrored what they were hearing from their Jewish constituents.

  Congressman Brad Schneider described the meeting as "emotional."

• "We raised the concern that some of the changes we are discussing will go to an extreme place and may have a negative impact on Israeli democracy," said Schneider, emphasizing that all the participants in the meeting are members of Congress with close ties to Israel and a commitment to Israel-US relations.

• Schneider explained that what is special about Israel is that it is a Jewish and democratic country.

  "It has always had a special place in the relationship between Israel and the US," he said.

• According to him, the members of Congress who participated in the meeting did not give the Israeli ambassador an ultimatum but emphasized that if the legal revolution is implemented unchanged it will be much more difficult for them to "talk about Israel in the same way".

• Congressman Jake Auchinclos emphasized at the meeting that he heard worries and concerns from every corner of the Jewish community in his constituency and noted that his constituents are anxious that the reform could harm Israeli democracy, according to a congressional adviser who was briefed on the details of the meeting.

• The congressional adviser added that other members of Congress expressed concern that if the legal revolution were to be implemented, it would have a negative effect on the relationship between Israel and the US.

• Another member of Congress who attended the meeting said that some of those present expressed concern that the legal revolution would harm the independence of the Israeli justice system, and as a result the ability to protect the rights of minorities in the country would be harmed.

• "The ambassador listened well to what we said and promised that he would convey our concerns directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu," said a member of Congress who attended the meeting.

  "There were members of Congress in the room who represent large Jewish communities and they wanted to make sure that the Prime Minister understood that this was not about a few individual voices and that many in the Jewish community in the US are very worried," he added.

• The Israeli embassy in Washington refused to comment on the matter.

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• United States

• The legal revolution