2:53 p.m. ET, March 27, 2023
US welcomes delay in Israel’s judicial reform efforts
By CNN’s Kevin Liptak US White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addresses the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington on Monday, March 27. (Jonathan Ernst/Portal)
The White House says it welcomes a delay in moving forward with Israel’s controversial judicial reforms that have worried President Joe Biden and US officials.
“We welcome this announcement as an opportunity to create additional time and space for compromise. A compromise is exactly what we asked for,” said spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.
The US continues to urge the Israeli leadership to find a compromise as soon as possible, she said.
“Democratic societies are strengthened by checks and balances, and fundamental changes towards a democratic system should be pursued with the widest possible popular support,” added Jean-Pierre.
The US State Department also praised the delay.
Deputy spokesman Vedant Patel also said that when asked by CNN’s Kylie Atwood whether the US still had faith in Netanyahu’s leadership of Israel, he had “no other assessment to offer.”
CNN’s Michael Conte and Christian Sierra contributed to this report.