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ADL to all sides on Israeli judicial reform: ‘Avoid incendiary rhetoric’

Debate is healthy, but threats are not, the NGO stated.

Israelis protest against the judicial overhaul in Jerusalem. Feb. 13, 2023. Photo by Erik Marmor/Flash90.
Israelis protest against the judicial overhaul in Jerusalem. Feb. 13, 2023. Photo by Erik Marmor/Flash90.

The Anti-Defamation League announced that it joins Israeli President Isaac Herzog in trying to bring all parties to the debate over Israeli judicial reform together, calling on them to avoid “violent confrontations.”

“We implore all parties to exert responsible leadership and avoid incendiary rhetoric,” stated the 110-year-old New York-headquartered NGO. “Debate and dissent are essential elements of a healthy democracy; intimidation, incitement and threats are not.”

Jews should be unified amid rising global antisemitism, said the ADL, adding: “We urge all sides in Israel and the Diaspora to remain committed to reasonable compromise and constructive discourse.”

U.S. President Joe Biden has weighed in directly on the proposed reforms, and critics have called them a threat to democracy. Others have said opposition to the reform program is not about democracy but rather meant to thwart it.

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