US ambassador: Israeli democracy ‘alive and well’

Israel is still a democracy, US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides declared on Wednesday, even as the Biden administration has expressed concerns about the government’s judicial reform plan.

“Democracy is alive and well in the State of Israel,” the ambassador emphasized.

Citing the “fairly complicated time” Israel has faced in recent months, Nides said people say to him “Oh my God, things are on fire.”

“I say ‘What are you talking about?’ Listen, the reality of this is, this is a living, breathing democracy in Israel,” he said at an event at the Israeli Embassy in Washington promoting foreign investment in the US.

Administration officials oppose government's plan

Nides remarks came after repeated comments from administration officials opposing the government’s plan to change how Supreme Justices are selected and limit judicial review.

In February, the ambassador called on Netanyahu to "pump the brakes, slow down, try to get a consensus" on the judicial plan.

US President Joe Biden himself said he is “very concerned,” that Israel “cannot continue down this road” and said, in that context, that he will not invite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.

Earlier this week, Justice Minister Yariv Levin accused Washington of “working in cooperation with [protesters against judicial reform], as you can see from the things said by the people in the government there,” though he added that he thinks the opposition to the plan is genuine and not a conspiracy.

A State Department spokesman called the accusation "completely and demonstrably false," though US government officials have, in fact, voiced opposition to the reform.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen pushed back against claims within his ministry that judicial reform hurts Israel on the global stage.

Cohen does not accept the evaluation presented in a professional report prepared in the Foreign Ministry, the ministry's spokesman said.

"The assessment in the report does not express the agreed-upon stance of all factors in the ministry and does not reflect the real situation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said. "The report only reflects the opinion of the person who wrote it.

"From the minister's and senior ministry officials' many international contacts, we see a picture that is totally different from what is presented in the report," he added.

The secret report was compiled by the heads of the Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Research Center and Diplomatic Planning Department, to assess the projected diplomatic fallout of the judicial reform, following messages diplomats received from abroad criticizing the plan.

The document, first reported by Walla! News, says that Israel's international standing has deteriorated in light of the debate on the judiciary and the makeup of its current governing coalition, because shared democratic values and a willingness to negotiate with the Palestinians are important for Israel in the West. It also recommends terminology for diplomats to use when discussing these issues.