An American billionaire says he'll stop funding the think tank behind Israel's judicial overhaul

abcnews.go.com:

An American billionaire and major donor to a Jerusalem think tank backing the Israeli government’s divisive judicial overhaul says that he will stop giving to the conservative group

JERUSALEM — An American billionaire and major donor to a Jerusalem think tank backing the Israeli government's divisive judicial overhaul said on Friday that he would stop giving to the conservative group.

The decision by Arthur Dantchik, a 65-year-old libertarian multibillionaire from New York, to cut funding to the Kohelet Policy Forum reflects the scope of the unrelenting protest movement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to weaken the Supreme Court.

“I believe what is most critical at this time is for Israel to focus on healing and national unity," Dantchik said in a statement shared with The Associated Press announcing his move to halt funding. “Throughout my life, I have supported a diverse array of organizations that promote individual liberties and economic freedoms for all people.”

The protests have raged in Israel for seven months, exposing deep-seated social tensions and thrusting the country into a crisis over the future of its democracy.

The Kohelet Policy Forum, founded in 2012 by American-Israeli computer scientist Moshe Koppel, has emerged as one of the main architects of Netanyahu's judicial overhaul package.

Kohelet declined to comment specifically on Dantchik, saying only that the donations it receives “are broad-based and increasing steadily."

Israeli media has reported Kohelet has been involved in negotiations over the overhaul plans. The changes would give the government more control over the selection of judges and make it harder for the Supreme Court to strike down laws. At one point earlier this