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Unusual move in Israeli-Irish relations: Knesset Speaker leaves for first official visit in 27 years
Publicized: January 15, 2012 This week Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin leaves for an official reciprocal visit to Ireland, despite the shadow of critical and even hostile attitudes towards Israel prevailing in Irish media and public opinion. The Knesset Speaker will be the highest public figure invited for an official visit to Ireland since 1985, with President Haim Herzog`s visit. Unusually, Ireland has shown openness and generosity towards the Speaker`s visit. (Ireland upgraded the level of the visit and announced that the Knesset Speaker will stay at the official guest house, which recently hosted England`s Queen Elizabeth and U.S. President Obama.) In addition, the President of Ireland expressed a wish to convene with Rivlin. The Irish Foreign Ministry defined the visit as marking ”a historical closeness.” Also participating in the visit are Knesset Members are Isaac Herzog (Labor), head of the Ireland-Israel Friendship Association. His father, Haim Herzog, was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and his grandfather, Rabbi Isaac Halevy Herzog served as Ireland`s chief rabbi. The Knesset Speaker will be the guest of the Speaker of the lower house of Parliament, Sean Barrett, who visited Israel in July 2011. The closeness between the two countries took off with Barrett`s responsiveness to Rivlin`s invitation to visit Israel. Since then, the two have established warm and friendly relations. In the framework of his visit, Rivlin is expected to make official visits with Irish President Michael D. Higgins, Ministers in the Irish government, and Speaker of the upper house of Parliament, senator Paddy Burke, and participate in an official reception in the Parliament Chamber. Rivlin will meet with members of the Ireland-Israel Friendship League in the Irish Parliament, and will work to strengthen inter-parliamentary ties between the two countries. On his return trip, Rivlin will meet with Speaker of the British House of Lords Baroness Francis D`Souza and others. The Knesset Speaker said that ”the relationship between the countries has always been one of friendship and cooperation, until it spiraled in the last decade. Israel understands Ireland`s intense wish for the establishment of a Palestinian state, but it must not come at the expense of the State of Israel. I see this visit as an important step in the improvement of relations with Ireland.”  © Copyright 2013, all rights reserved to the State of Israel or to third parties as detailed in this link. We welcome your Suggestions and Comments. Email: feedback@knesset.gov.il | |||||
