A special session of the Knesset Plenum scheduled next week in honor of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel is facing internal controversy.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) threatened on Wednesday in the Knesset that "if the coalition boycotts the Supreme Court President at the special session with the Indian Prime Minister, we will not be able to appear at the session."
According to Lapid, "There will be a huge embarrassment for Israel's Knesset. We do not want India to be embarrassed as the Prime Minister of a nation with a billion people stands here in front of a half-empty Knesset. The Indian embassy is panicking because of this."
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana responded to Lapid: "Threatening Israel's international relations is an illegitimate weapon in an internal political fight. If Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid wishes to harm Israel's foreign relations with an important ally, which is also one of the important world powers, that's his choice. An unfortunate and wrong choice, and I hope he reverses it."
He added that Lapid had already attended meetings with leaders to which the Supreme Court President was also not invited. “If he nevertheless insists on his position, it would be appropriate for him to explain in his next conversation with the Embassy of India why he did not boycott the special meetings held in honor of President Javier Milei, President Donald Trump, and Prime Minister Edi Rama, despite Justice Amit not being invited, yet specifically intends to boycott their prime minister."
The dispute surrounding Supreme Court President Justice Yitzhak Amit is rooted in the ongoing clash between the Likud-led government and the judiciary over proposed judicial reforms. Coalition leaders have argued that the Supreme Court has accumulated excessive authority and have sought changes to the Judicial Selection Committee and the balance of powers. Justice Minister Yariv Levin and other senior officials have objected to the circumstances of Amit’s appointment and declined to fully recognize the process. Against this backdrop of continued tensions between the branches of government, Amit was not invited to the special Knesset session honoring the Indian Prime Minister.