US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant Thursday afternoon. During their meeting, Secretary Austin delivered a message from the Biden Administration on the controversy surrounding the issue of judicial reform in Israel.
Austin said that the US-Israel bond “is rooted in far more than just shared interests. It’s rooted in the shared values of democracy and freedom and the rule of law. And those values remain essential. As Biden has said, the genius of American Democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, and on an independent judiciary.”
He also noted that US President Joe Biden expects compromises between the coalition on the judicial reform issue. “The president also noted that building a consensus for fundamental changes is really important that the people buy into them so they can be sustained.”
Defense Minister Gallant responded by saying that Israeli democracy is built on strong institutions, including an independent court.

Austin presented his concern about “violence by settlers,” and Minister Gallant replied that Israel “seeks stability and security” with the Palestinian Arabs.
The Secretary of Defense also emphasized that “America’s commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad, and it’s going to stay that way.”