Israel: Knesset refuses to let Ukrainian president speak to MKs

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been refused permission to address members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Walla news website has reported. Zelenskyy asked to speak to MKs via Zoom to present Ukraine’s position on the Russian invasion.

According to a senior Israeli official, the Ukrainian ambassador to Israel, Yevgeny Kornichuk, submitted the request to Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy on Wednesday, too late for a speech to be arranged before the parliament went into recess until May. It would thus be necessary to recall MKs to hear an online address by Zelenskyy.

The Speaker of the Knesset has told the ambassador that it might be possible to arrange a video call with MKs, but no date was specified. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already said that it has no objection to Zelenskyy giving a speech to the Knesset.

According to Walla, the Ukrainians were disappointed with the Knesset’s response because they want Zelenskyy to be able to address parliament as a whole.

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