• Middle East New Saturday of massive protests in Israel against Netanyahu
  • Netanyahu government halts controversial judicial reform after mass protests

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Sunday called on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez not to decide for the Israeli people after the president on Saturday transferred his support on behalf of the Socialist International to protests against the controversial judicial reform in Israel, considered by critics as an attack on the balance of powers.

"No foreign official will decide for the Israeli people, and I am sure that was not the intention of Sánchez," said the Foreign Minister, just arrived precisely from a visit to Spain where he met, among others, with his counterpart José Manuel Albares, on his Twitter account.

The minister was referring to the video broadcast before some 200,000 demonstrators in the last protest last night against the reform gathered in the streets of Tel Aviv in which Sánchez, also president of the Socialist International recalled that it "has always fought for freedom, equality, justice and democracy", "values that we cannot take for granted and that we have to promote and defend daily".

"As such, now, as always, socialist internationalists stand in solidarity with the people of Israel. Dear friends, you will always find ways to fight for democracy," Sánchez said.

In response, Cohen defended his personal support for the reform proposal, as a member of the main party of the Israeli government coalition, the Likud, and attacked the protesters as "they have no limits, including attempts to damage our international image (of Israel)."

"As a supporter of reform, I have no doubt that it will strengthen democracy and balance the branches of government," he concluded.

Judicial reform is now stalled amid a consensus process organized by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the recommendation of Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Other international leaders, such as the president of the United States, Joe Biden, or the French president, Emmanuel Macron, have also expressed their concern with this proposal that, broadly speaking, would grant the Government unusual powers over the action of the country's courts.

However, this Sunday is scheduled to resume the ordinary sessions of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, and the opposition fears that the parties that support Netanyahu's coalition, in particular the far right, will reopen the legislative process of the reform.

  • Israel
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • Emmanuel Macron
  • Joe Biden
  • Twitter

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