Knesset Guard preparing for ceremony
Knesset Guard preparing for ceremonyKnesset Spokesman's office

A group of 33 Thai Members of Parliament are in Israel Wednesday to learn about Israeli defense systems for use in Thailand.

The MPs’ visit is intended to lay a framework for trade in defense and security equipment between Israeli companies and Thailand.

The Thai government is planning a new Parliament building. The MPs will be looking in particular at the systems in use at Israeli public buildings such as the Knesset and Supreme Court.

“This delegation is the second to visit Israel, and prior to this senior Israeli experts in the field visited Bangkok,” explained Boaz Sharabi, the Ministry of Trade attaché in Bangkok.

“We already know of changes that were made in the original planning [of the Thai parliament building] as a result of the earlier tour,” he said. “We hope Thailand will take advantage of the experience and knowledge that Israeli companies have in this field, and will use their services in planning and construction.”

Defense expert Motti Cohen said the delegates would visit the Knesset as well as the Ashdod port and Israel’s borders.

“Unfortunately, our country is forced to cope with frequent threats to national security, to its installations and its citizens,” Cohen said. “But this fact puts us in the top tier worldwide in the field of homeland security, and allows us to share knowledge with our friends in order to help them guard sensitive installations like the Parliament in Bangkok.”