One of the senior officials in the EU, Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, appears to have a different take on the government's proposed judicial reforms compared to other officials in the West, telling Israel Hayom Israel is an exemplary democracy.
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In an interview on Thursday in Brussels, he said he was optimistic that the relations between Israel and the EU, which are part of his portfolio, will continue. "The past year has been very successful and we have started working on implementing the Abraham Accords with the rest of the partners in the region." He expressed hope that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would "come very soon."
Q; The new government is promoting reforms in the judiciary. How do you see it from your perspective?
"Well, of course, we are looking at this development and it is for Israel and its democracy to work it out and see what reforms it would like to bring about.
Q: Do you think Israel's democracy is in jeopardy?
"I have a very, very strong trust in the democracy of Israel. If there is a really strong and vibrant democracy where the checks and balances are working, that is Israel."
Q: Regarding the threat of Iran. What are the next steps the EU is going to take?
"Well yes, there is more and more understanding of the security threat Iran is posing. It has been neglected, unfortunately, the security threat. It has been neglected over the last couple of years, but now I think everyone understands it, and this is why we have already adopted four sanction measures. And it is very clear that Iran is playing a very key role also in Russia's aggression against Ukraine. And this is why Europe must act firmly."
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