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Alex Soros urges Biden to 'take action' to 'protect Israeli democracy' amid judicial reforms

Soros, who is from a Hungarian Jewish family, spoke out in a letter to the US president

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NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 21: Founder of the Alexander Soros Foundation Alexander Soros speaks onstage during the Ford Foundation-United Nations Development Programme Forests for Climate event at the Ford Foundation on April 21, 2016 in New York City. Without tropical forests, humanity will lose indispensable years to reduce fossil fuel use. Where indigenous peoples and local communities have secure land rights to their forests, there is less deforestation and better forest protection. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Ford Foundation)

Joe Biden is being urged by top left-wing Jewish leaders to take a more proactive track on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Alex Soros, who recently took control of his father George Soros’ philanthropic empire worth $25 billion, was one of 160 high profile figures urging the US president to adopt a new stance with Israel.

Hollywood and Broadway actors Mandy Patinkin and Joshua Malina are also among the signatories in the letter. 

In a letter to President Biden, they warn that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government campaign was “so severe and so consequential that it merits a proportionate reaction by Israel’s chief ally, the United States of America.”

They urged the US President to take “concrete action” to send a clear message to Israel that “its actions come with a price.”

Israel-US ties are being tested at the moment amid Netanyahu’s controversial judicial overhaul.

The letter, organised by American Jews for Peace Now, claims Biden’s previous warnings against the judicial overhaul failed to prevent Netanyahu’s coalition from pushing their plans forward.

The 160 Jewish leaders wrote in the letter: “Your expressions of concern for Israel’s democracy and your frank criticisms of the Israeli government’s campaign to weaken the country’s judiciary has helped buoy the popular opposition to this alarming democratic backsliding.

“Sadly, we must acknowledge that warnings from the United States did not ultimately prevent the Israeli government from acting on this agenda.”

They go on to warn: “As a result, we now find ourselves at a critical juncture where further actions are necessary to safeguard the democratic values the U.S.-Israel relationship is founded upon the leaders offered a series of concrete measures the Biden administration could take.”

The group have made several recommendations to the Biden administration to develop the relationship with Jerusalem in the letter.

This includes appointing a new ambassador to Israel immediately and taking steps to reopen a separate US consulate in Jerusalem which would serve the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza.

Biden’s administration should also ensure that Israel meets all requirements before considering its admission into the visa waiver program.

Long term, Biden’s administration is being urged to no longer automatically prevent efforts to hold Israel accountable at the United Nations for its settlement activities.

The US should also communicate to Israel that the evolving state of Israeli democracy will figure into upcoming deliberations on the next ten-year memorandum of understanding relating to foreign aid.

Hadar Susskind, Americans for Peace Now’s President and CEO, said: “We sent this letter because Prime Minister Netanayhu made it clear that he will not heed President Biden’s words, so it is time to move to actions. 

“We are gratified to see that so many Jewish leaders joined us in signing this letter and we hope that President Biden will follow our advice.”

Soros, who is chairman of Open Society Foundations, said: “Americans who care about Israel are horrified to see the government assault on the state’s democratic norms and institutions.  

“President Biden’s concerns went unheeded. The time has come to take action to protect Israel's democracy and America’s interests in the region.”

Since Soros took over control of his father’s empire, there has been growing speculation that he would be more actively involved in Jewish and Israeli matters.

He had told the Wall Street Journal he was "more political" than his father, and that one of his top aims would be to push back against a possible second term by former president Donald Trump.

Soros added: "As much as I would love to get money out of politics, as long as the other side is doing it, we will have to do it, too.”

His father George used his wealth amassed as a financier in the 1970s and 80s to create the Open Society Foundations (OSF), which support a broad arrange of causes and NGOs worldwide, ranging from good-governance and democracy-building programs to liberal public policy initiatives.

He has also been one of the biggest donors in the United States to the Democratic Party. 

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