MKs from Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party sent a letter to Foreign Ministry Director General Alon Ushpiz Wednesday alleging that Netanyahu was prevented from meeting with US congressmen who visited Israel this week, Maariv reported.
The letter, copies of which were also sent to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman, reads, "Since the 36th Israeli government was formed, the Foreign Ministry has been acting contrary to the prevailing custom for decades and has refrained from coordinating meetings between senators and the US House of Representatives and opposition leaders. The importance of holding these meetings in order to strengthen the international status of the State of Israel is clear."
The letter continues, "Recently, a delegation led by Senator Chris Coons and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer visited Israel, but the Foreign Ministry did not coordinate a meeting between them and the opposition chairman."
"We want to hope that this is only a misunderstanding, and not a change in policy for political reasons. In light of the above, we, the undersigned Knesset Members, ask you to return to the long-standing practice, and to give a clear instruction to the Foreign Ministry to coordinate meetings between the opposition chairman and members of the Senate and the US House of Representatives visiting Israel.
"We also wish to appoint a permanent contact person in the Foreign Ministry who will be in contact with the Office of the Chairman of the Opposition to coordinate such meetings. We hope that the good of the State of Israel and the strengthening of its international status will be paramount in your eyes and that you will restore this long-standing practice, as detailed in this letter," the LikudMKs added.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's office responded, "This is of course a long-standing procedure that the chairman of the opposition may indeed meet with political delegations that come to Israel. This was also the case during Lapid's tenure as chairman of the opposition. Unfortunately, after checking again, the delegations did not express any interest in meeting with Opposition Chairman Netanyahu, and therefore we were not required to coordinate such a meeting. As far as requests are concerned, we will certainly deal with them in accordance with the protocol and the rules of good administration."
The Likud rejected the response, syaing, "Former Prime Minister Netanyahu holds regular political talks and meetings, not through the Foreign Ministry, because he opposes the dangerous "no surprises" policy led by Yair Lapid and Bennett's commitment to the US administration not to publicly criticize the dangerous nuclear agreement with Iran."