' fill='%230E4F97'%3E%3Cg id='Group-5' transform='translate(370.000000, 11.000000)'%3E%3Cg id='avatar' transform='translate(6.000000, 4.000000)'%3E%3Ccircle id='Oval' cx='8' cy='4' r='4'%3E%3C/circle%3E%3Cpath d='M7.12864205,10 L8.87135795,10 C11.558649,10 14.0087196,11.5384024 15.1762205,13.958831 L16,15.6666667 L16,15.6666667 L15.3374858,17.5134983 C15.228016,17.8186575 14.9774027,18.051811 14.6651459,18.1389975 L8,20 L8,20 L1.33485405,18.1389975 C1.02259733,18.051811 0.771984007,17.8186575 0.662514216,17.5134983 L0,15.6666667 L0,15.6666667 L0.823779545,13.958831 C1.99128041,11.5384024 4.44135104,10 7.12864205,10 Z' id='Rectangle'%3E%3C/path%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E)
48 Democrats in Congress sign letter backing Israeli anti-overhaul protesters
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — Forty-eight Democratic House members have signed onto a letter expressing support for the protest movement in Israel against the effort by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judiciary.
The letter is led by Reps. Anna G. Eshoo of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland.
“We proudly stand with you, the Israeli pro-democracy movement, as you fight to preserve your democratic institutions and ensure that the rule of law prevails,” the letter states.
“As we confront challenges to our democracy at home, we admire the fortitude you have shown in facing down efforts to erode Israeli democracy. We share your belief that a strong, vibrant democracy with an independent judiciary is essential to Israel’s future success and the success of the US-Israel relationship.”
The protest movement is in its 20th week though its saliency with the broader public has dipped over the past two months, since Netanyahu agreed to temporarily halt the overhaul in order to engage in talks with the opposition in order to reach a compromise. The prime minister has vowed to return it to the agenda now that his government passed a budget early this morning.
