Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several ministers are scheduled to attend a meeting with the Czech government in Prague. This visit has prompted plans for demonstrations by some Israeli nationals living in Czechia, who oppose the current policies of Netanyahu’s government. These policies have already led to widespread protests in Tel Aviv against proposed judicial reforms that critics say undermine the foundations of the State of Israel.
The Czech government intends to host the Israeli cabinet members at the Straka Academy and the Lichtenstein Palace in Prague. This meeting marks the fifth Czech-Israeli intergovernmental meeting and the first since 2016 in Jerusalem. The discussions will cover political, economic, security, military cooperation, science, research, innovation, healthcare, and cybersecurity.
However, Netanyahu is unlikely to meet with the Israeli community in the Czech Republic, who are planning to demonstrate in Prague. Among the demonstrators are Israeli medical students at Charles University, including Ori, who has been living in Prague for three years. Ori expressed concerns about the future of Israel under the current government, stating, “We need to show the world that the Israeli government is not the Israeli people, that we have ideals to defend.”
Ariel, a sound engineer working in Prague for ten years, is also preparing to demonstrate. He described the current government’s initiatives as a “coup d’état” and expressed concerns about the impact on minorities, women, LGBT people, and Arabs. Ariel hopes to inform Czech citizens about the situation and seek their support, recalling the historical assistance Czechoslovakia provided to Israel in 1948.
The most controversial and extremist members of Netanyahu’s government, notably Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, are not expected to travel to Prague.
For more detailed information, you can read the original article on Radio Prague International.