While the Biden administration has expressed concern about the judicial overhaul being pushed forward by the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it has made clear US military aid to Israel will not be affected.
“There is not going to be any cut or stoppage of military aid, and that is because our commitment to Israel and our commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad. Our decades-long partnership with Israel is ironclad,” State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said Tuesday, according to Ynet. The US provides Israel with $3.8 billion in military aid each year.
Patel’s comments came a day after Israel’s Knesset voted to abolish Israel’s “reasonableness standard,” eliminating the Supreme Court’s ability to block government decisions it deems unreasonable. The law passed amid massive demonstrations against the plan in a vote of 64-0, as the opposition did not vote in protest.
“It is clear that the legislation has consequences for people’s day-to-day lives, and that is why we said that such changes in democracy require a broad consensus,” Patel said.
Last week, President Biden signaled the judicial overhaul could impact the “special relationship” between the US and Israel. But after the vote, the administration was quick to assure Israel that it had full military support from the US. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, by phone on Tuesday.
“Secretary Austin made clear that US commitment to Israel’s security is steadfast and unwavering, and affirmed that the Department of Defense is focused on initiatives that deepen military cooperation,” the Pentagon said in a readout of the call.
Concerning the judicial overhaul, Austin “underscored the United States’ belief that broad consensus through political dialogue, especially in the coming weeks and months, are critical elements of a resilient democracy.”
The Pentagon said Austin also “urged Minister Gallant to address extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians and continue the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s efforts to improve economic opportunities for Palestinians in the West Bank.”
The Netanyahu government’s recent bombing campaign in Gaza and massive raids in the West Bank have also not impacted US military aid, as the US has supported the operations. Violence this year in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza has killed over 200 Palestinians.
Source: AntiWar.
