U.S. comments on unrest in Israel

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides defended his right to criticize Israel’s judicial overhaul program, as he pushed back at Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli’s past suggestion that he mind his own business.

“Some official suggested I should stay out of Israel’s business,” Nides said when he spoke Tuesday night at Tel Aviv University Institute of National Security Studies. 

He highlights the importance of maintaining a strong judiciary amid the government’s effort to weaken the High Court of Justice.

“Last week, when we were defending the State of Israel at the UN, one of the things we always harkened back at is that what we have in common these institutions… and values. That’s what brings us together,” the envoy said.

Nides underscored the importance Israeli democracy plays in the relationship between the two countries and in the Biden administration’s ability to defend the Jewish state in International arenas.