If it was asked to be vaccinated to participate in COP26, it was obviously not recommended to have a disability. Israeli Minister Karine Elharrar was refused entry to the world climate summit in Glasgow on Monday for the sole reason that she was in a wheelchair. Indeed, security officials did not allow her suitable vehicle to access the site, despite efforts “for two hours” by the Israeli prime minister’s office to negotiate access, the minister’s spokeswoman said. Energy.
According to British media, Karine Elharrar was unable to access the site because the buses providing shuttles to the site were not equipped to accommodate wheelchairs. Outraged, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett threatened not to attend the COP26 activities on Tuesday if his colleague was deprived of access to the climate conference.
A meeting with Boris Johnson on Tuesday
“It is sad to see that the UN, which promotes equal access for people with disabilities, is not in a position, in 2021, to ensure accessibility to this event”, wrote the Minister on Twitter. “I hope that the necessary lessons will be learned and that I will be able (Tuesday) to promote green energies,” she added.
A source within Naftali Bennett’s delegation said he raised the issue with Boris Johnson ahead of their scheduled meeting on Tuesday. The two officials agreed that Karine Elharrar “would have access to the site with Mr. Bennett and participate in the meeting with Mr. Johnson”, according to this source. And the British ambassador to Israel has apologized to the minister.