PM Brown to address Knesset during visit to Israel next week

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is scheduled to arrive in Israel Saturday night for a two-day visit to mark Israel's 60th anniversary. The prime minister will follow in the footsteps of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, US President George W. Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy who visited Israel in the past months. In Israel, Brown is scheduled to meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu. Diplomatic officials said that the meetings with Brown, whom they described as a "friend," will focus on Iran and on the Palestinian and Syrian tracks.

PM Brown will also take advantage of his visit to Israel to announce a new initiative for academic cooperation between Israel and Britain, as a counterbalance to the boycotts by the Union of Colleges and Universities (UCU). Brown will suggest a program for academic cooperation and lecturer exchanges that will be directed by the British consulate in Israel. The program is intended to improve academic and research ties between the higher learning systems in Israel and Britain. The program will begin operating in the coming academic year after it is ratified by all of the elements that are connected with the initiative.

During the visit he is also scheduled to travel to Bethlehem for a visit with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad. The British prime minister is also scheduled to discuss the situation in Lebanon. Israeli officials noted with satisfaction that Britain placed Hezbollah's military wing on its list of terrorist organizations about three weeks ago, the first European country to do so. The European Union has adamantly refused to place Hezbollah on its terrorist black list because of the organisation's political role in Lebanon.

Back to top Previous article Next article