Senator Wiener’s Statement on Israel's Judicial Overhaul

SACRAMENTO – Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement in response to Israel’s Knesset passing a new judicial overhaul law that eliminates judicial review of legislative actions. Senator Wiener serves as co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus but issues this statement in his personal capacity:

“As a Jew and a strong supporter of the State of Israel, I unequivocally condemn the Netanyahu government’s attack on Israel’s independent judiciary. Israel must be a democracy and a place where the rule of law is paramount. Those of us who support Israel and understand its critical importance as a pluralistic Jewish nation have a special responsibility to speak out when the Israeli government threatens Israel’s democracy. This far-right government, which caters to extremists, is engaging in many disturbing actions, and this new law undermining an independent judiciary is simply one of them. Its aggressive push to expand settlements is similarly anti-democratic and threatens the viability of a two-state solution. I am heartened by the massive number of Israeli protesters of all political stripes who have taken to the streets to show that the Netanyahu government does not speak for them. We all need to be clear that this new law is totally unacceptable.”