Israel’s Consul General in New York Asaf Zamir resigned on Sunday, days after he was summoned by the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem for warning U.S. Jewish donors against Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s attempts to overhaul the judiciary.
"The past 18 months as Israel’s Consul General in New York were fulfilling and rewarding, but following today’s developments, it is now time for me to join the fight for Israel's future to ensure it remains a beacon of democracy and freedom in the world," Zamir posted on Twitter hours after Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Galant over his similar criticisms.
Zamir’s initial remarks were delivered to The Jewish Museum’s annual fundraising gala, which gathers more than 900 significant donors from New York’s corporate, social and cultural communities.
“I’m deeply concerned about the direction the country is going in right now. If you want to have the national home and to be everyone’s home, it really must be democratic,” Zamir said to applause.
Zamir, who was appointed by then-Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and has held the key diplomatic posting for 18 months, was the first sitting Israeli diplomat to deliver such warnings concerning the judicial overhaul.