Jerusalem, Feb 24 (PTI)Israel’s opposition has pleaded with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resolve the ongoing political crisis to ensure its participation during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the Knesset.
Modi will undertake a two-day visit to Israel beginning Wednesday to shore up bilateral defence and trade cooperation. Modi’s engagements will include his address to Israel’s parliament (Knesset), wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and a meeting with President Isaac Herzog.
Israel’s opposition is demanding that the President of the Supreme Court of Israel, Yitzhak Amit, be invited for Modi’s address to the parliament, as per protocol, otherwise they will not attend the event. Speaker of the Knesset Ohana has made clear that Amit has not been invited to attend the speech.
“There are 24 hours left until Indian Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the Knesset, and the Prime Minister has yet to do anything to resolve the crisis created by (Speaker) Amir Ohana’s decision to boycott the Supreme Court and the opposition”, Leader of Opposition Yair Lapid posted on his X handle.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu, yesterday you said that this is an important moment for the country and that this is not the time for politics, but for standing together in the face of the challenges”, he wrote.
“Call Ohana, tell him to invite Supreme Court President (Yitzhak) Amit, allow us to come to the event that we need to be at and want to be at, and don’t lend your hand to harming one of the most important alliances of the State of Israel”, he pleaded.
“It is fitting that the world sees us all united during the visit to Israel of a great friend and ally”, Lapid asserted.
He has been making similar appeals for the past two days amid a standoff between the opposition and the government, as Modi’s visit has gotten entangled in a domestic political issue.
Earlier, on Monday, Ohana had said that he would fill vacant seats in the Knesset with former lawmakers. PTI HM RD RD RD RD
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