By NNN-IRNA,
London : The Israeli Ambassador to Britain Friday promoted Gordon Brown’s first visit to the occupied territories as prime minister, saying that he will be the first UK leader to address the Knesset on Monday.
“The occasion reflects the fact that Israel’s parliamentary tradition was inspired by Britain. It is fitting that, 150 years after the first Jewish MP took his seat at Westminster (parliament in London), Ron Prosor said.
“Brown’s visit underscores the deep and warm connections between Israel and Britain,” Prosor said in breaking diplomatic protocol by leaking the British prime minister’s planned visit ahead of any official announcement.
In an article for the Daily Telegraph newspaper, he said Brown was “no stranger to this connection: his father was a Church of Scotland minister who led pilgrims to the Holy Land for 20 years.” The Jewish Chronicle also disclosed further details Friday by saying that the British premier would announce a “ground breaking initiative” between the UK and Israel during his visit.
“The Prime Minister is due to reveal plans for an academic research and exchange program administered by the British Council and supported by a range of partners, governmental, non-governmental and philanthropic,” it said.
The British Council in Tel Aviv was said top be currently in discussions with a number of other potential partners, including the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and Israel’s Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport.
“We are still considering a range of options to enhance academic links between the UK and Israel and hope to be in a position to make an announcement shortly and give a full description of planned new activities,” the weekly said.
The plan comes in the face of British lecturers and academics overwhelmingly supporting a call for a review of links with Israeli colleges and universities after failing to impose a boycott.
A motion was backed at the University and College Union (UCU) annual conference in May urging its 120,000 members to “consider the moral and political implications of educational links with Israeli institutions.”
It called for discussions about the occupation of Palestine “with individuals and institutions concerned, including Israeli colleagues with whom they are collaborating.”