Following a security directive from the Knesset officer, Knesset members who were scheduled to attend the "Israeli Week" conference in Georgia this upcoming weekend were instructed to cancel their participation.
The order came after a security alert regarding a potential terrorist attack, which was likely targeted at conference attendees.
The Knesset stated, "As part of the situation assessment conducted prior to any Knesset member's travel, a conversation was held with the members of Knesset by the Knesset Guard, and what was said cannot be expanded upon due to security considerations."
The event, held as part of "Israeli Week" in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, is designed to promote economic and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries. According to the Israel-Georgia Business Chamber, Israel's economic contribution to Georgia over the past three decades has amounted to approximately five billion dollars.
The conference was also set to feature a comprehensive program from the "House of Israel" organization to combat antisemitism, operating, according to the organization, in 100 countries - at no cost to Israel. Additionally, initiatives aimed at advocacy during the war in 27 countries were also planned for presentation.
Itzik Moshe, President of the Israel-Georgia Business Chamber and head of the organizing organization, stated that the event would include a summary of 35 years of activity since Georgia became the first country to open its doors to the Jewish community. He also mentioned an assassination attempt against him by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard three years ago. Expected participants included mayors, representatives from international organizations, and senior officials from the economy.
Moshe addressed the political and economic situation, saying, "Despite the diplomatic balance imposed by the environment, Georgia has long been considered one of the most pro-Israel countries among the former Soviet Union states. Regarding the economy, I would sum up by saying that Israel’s economic contribution to Georgia is growing year by year and could reach one billion dollars annually by 2030, with the main component coming from tourism with 500,000 tourists and 25% from real estate purchases and investments."