‘Indian embassy in panic’: Will Modi address a half-empty Knesset in Israel?

An internal turmoil within Israel has now triggered a wave of panic in the Indian Embassy  in Israel over fears that Prime Minister Narendra Modi could likely address a half-empty  Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, during his visit to the Jewish state on Wednesday.

As per plans, Modi will land at Tel Aviv on Wednesday, after which he will hold a private  meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu. The highlight of the visit is, however, his address at the Israeli Parliament. Narendra Modi will be the first Indian  leader to address the Israeli Parliament.

However, the historic event now faces the shadow of a boycott after a heated confrontation erupted in the Knesset over Netanyahu’s failure to invite Supreme Court President  Yitzhak Amit to a meeting in honour of the Indian Prime Minister.  Opposition parties threatened to boycott the session and Modi’s speech, triggering uncertainty in the Indian Embassy.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said, "If the coalition boycotts the Chief Justice of the  Supreme Court in the special session with the Indian Prime Minister, we will not be able to attend it. If the coalition boycotts the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, there will be a huge embarrassment for the Israeli Knesset. We do not want to embarrass India and  have the prime minister of a country of a billion people standing here, in front of a half-empty Knesset. The Indian embassy is panicking about this."

Though Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana insists and promises that Modi will not address a half-empty plenary session, the Indian Embassy is reportedly considering whether to call off the speech, according to Hebrew media Ynet. It quoted sources which said Indians are debating whether to cancel the speech to avoid embarrassing images of a half-empty plenary session.

The speaker attacked Lapid for his decision. "If Lapid wants to harm the State of Israel's foreign relations with an important friend of ours, which is also one of the most important powers in the world, that is his choice. An unfortunate, wrong choice, and I hope he will reverse it. If he still insists on his decision, it is appropriate for him to explain in his next conversation with the Indian embassy why he did not boycott the special meetings in honor of President Javier Gerardo Milei, President Trump, and Prime Minister Edi  Rama - even though Judge Amit was not invited to them - while he intends to boycott their prime minister," Ohana said.

However, Lapid claims that he urges Netanyahu to instruct the Knesset Speaker not to  boycott the Supreme President, and to allow the opposition to participate in the ceremonial meeting in honour of Indian Prime Minister Modi. “Ohana's primaries are not more important than relations with a major ally, which is one of the most important countries in the world. We want to be at the meeting; we need to be at the meeting. Prime Minister Netanyahu should instruct Ohana to allow us to participate in the meeting.

However, Ohana said he has decided to invite former Knesset members to fill the hall.