Speakers of African parliaments are expected to arrive to Israel next week for a first-of-its-kind conference to take place in the Knesset.
The parliamentarians will be arriving from such countries as Uganda, Benin, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, Seychelles and South Sudan. The Israeli parliament is also still waiting to hear back from parliament speakers of several additional countries.
An event of this magnitude had never taken place in Israel's parliament before, as no more than two parliament speakers visited the capital simultaneously before.
The African parliaments' heads will be visiting at the behest of Israel's own speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein. The conference they will attend is slated to take place this Tuesday, with panels on various topics.
Rwandan Parliament Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa, for instance, hails from the only country in the world where women hold a majority in parliament. Mukabalisa will moderate a public panel on empowering women and gender equality alongside Chairperson of the Knesset's Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality MK Aida Touma-Suleiman (Joint List).
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee MK Avi Dichter (Likud) will be speaking about the challenges facing both Israel and Africa when it comes to the war on terror, while MK Benny Begin (Likud) will explain Israel's Anti-Terrorism Law and what it means.
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Speaker Edelstein said Israel's relations with African countries are vital
(צילום: יצחק הררי – דוברות הכנסת)
Chairperson of the Transparency Committee MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union) and Chairman of the Committee for Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs MK Avraham Neguise (Likud) will share their parliamentary experience with the visiting African dignitaries.
Lastly, Knesset Director General Albert Sakharovich will speak to the parliament speakers on making the Israeli parliament accessible to persons with disabilities.
"I'm very excited in anticipation of one of the largest and most significant conference the Knesset has ever hosted. Cooperation with African countries has political and economic significance of the highest order," said Speaker Edelstein.