Following the publication on Sunday morning in Walla!, Israel Post denies the claim by the minister's office that they were invited to join the Congress.
According to the report, Communications Minister Shlomo Krei left with a delegation to the World Postal Congress in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, without a representative from the postal company. This is highly unusual as the conference includes representatives from 192 countries and their postal companies. Representatives of the trade division of the postal company will join virtually. Karai's office said in response to the publication: "We invited them."
Among the participants who will fly in the minister's delegation: Naama Hennig, Director of the International Relations Division in his ministry, Acting Director General of the Ministry of Communications and his assistant, Chairman of the Economy Committee, MK David Bitan and senior officials in the Ministry of Communications. As mentioned, representatives of the Israel Post will participate in some of the conferences virtually.
Israel Post said in response to the publication: "The company's representatives will participate in the conference virtually this year, as has been done in various cases in the past. The company did not receive an invitation to come to Saudi Arabia as part of the Israeli delegation."
Shlomo Krei, Chairman of Israel Post Mishael Vaknin, David Amsalem/Image processing, Jonathan Zindel/Flash 90, Screenshot/Knesset Channel
The World Postal Congress is the supreme framework of the World Postal Union, which includes 192 countries, including Israel.
The Congress convenes once every four years and includes representatives of the Ministry of Communications, the Postal Company, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (which is responsible for international organizations and mainly assists in dealing with the political issue of mail transfer to the Palestinian Authority).
In light of the frequent changes in the postal industry, countries can decide to hold a congress not only every four years: ("extraordinary congress"), like the current Congress in Saudi Arabia, which was decided by the countries at the previous Congress in Ivory Coast 2020.
Tour of the Israel Post sorting center on passport renewal/Photo: Knesset Spokesperson's Office
Attempted impeachment of the Postmaster General
In the background: an ongoing confrontation between Communications Minister Shlomo Krei and Postal Company Chairman Mishael Vaknin. Earlier this month, Israel's High Court of Justice issued an interim injunction stating that the chairman of Vaknin Postal Company will not be removed from his position. Justices Yosef Elron, Yitzhak Amit and Alex Stein wrote in their decision that since Vaknin's term was effectively terminated, he was allowed to return to his position. In addition, the justices issued ministers Shlomo Krei and David Amsalem a conditional order, so that within a month the state will have to explain why it should not accept the petition against Vaknin's removal.
Adv. Yigal Levy, former Senior Deputy Director General of Postal Service at the Ministry of Communications and head of the Israeli delegation to the World Postal Union conferences: "The fact that Minister of Communications Dr. Krei heads the Israeli delegation to the Postal Congress, in the decision, strengthens Israel's status in the World Postal Union, but it is a pity that the delegation does not also include representatives of the Postal Company who are in regular contact with postal administrations around the world and whose presence is necessary in Congress."
- More on the subject:
- Shlomo Karai
- Israel Post
- Minister of Communications