Biden, Netanyahu discuss ‘checks and balances’ at UN amid spar over judicial reform

President Biden said Wednesday he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plan to discuss "hard issues" during a meeting in New York on Wednesday.

“Today, we're going to discuss some of the hard issues, that is upholding democratic values that lie at the heart of our partnership, including the checks and balances in our systems and preserving the path to a negotiated two state solution, and ensuring that Iran never, never acquires a nuclear weapon,” Biden said.

“Even where we have some differences, my commitment to Israel, you know, is ironclad. I think without Israel, there's not a Jew in the world who is secure. Israel is essential,” the president added.

Relations between Biden and Netanyahu have been tense since an effort earlier this year by the prime minister’s team to push through reforms to Israel’s judiciary that would effectively allow the government to choose judges on the country’s top court.

Biden has previously urged Netanyahu to back away from the proposed judicial reforms, which critics argued would erode Israel’s system of checks and balances and could protect Netanyahu from court cases in which he faces charges of bribery and corruption.

Netanyahu responded to Biden by declaring that Israel is committed to democracy in his remarks at the top of the Wednesday meeting.

“We live in uncertain times, rapidly changing times. So I want to reassert here before you, Mr. President, that one thing is certain, and one thing will never change. And that is Israel's commitment to democracy,” he said. “We will continue to uphold the values that both our proud democracies cherish.”

The two are meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting for their first first-to-face since Netanyahu returned to office last year. He was sworn in for his current term in December and in July said he had been invited to visit the United States.