Czech lower-house votes to reject any questioning of Israel's right to exist and defend itself in response to controversial article

The Chamber of Deputies voted to reject any questioning of Israel's right to exist and defend itself on Wednesday. The stance was proposed after an article written by Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček and two of his predecessors, Lubomír Zaorálek and Karel Schwarzenberg, criticised Israel’s plans to annex Jewish settlements on the West Bank of the river Jordan, something that drew rebukes from both the Czech prime minister and president who said it did not represent the government’s view.

The right of Israel to exist and defend itself was supported by all parties except the Communists, with the Pirate Party choosing not to vote in favour of a further passage which called the current US peace initiative towards Israel and Palestine “a concrete proposal that has the potential to introduce a new dynamic into the peace process and will lead to renewed direct talks between both parties”.

The lower-house also called on the government to ensure a meeting is held soon with the new Israeli government. Furthermore, the Chamber of Deputies voted in support of the ongoing strategic partnership between the Czech Republic and Israel, which is “based on mutual respect, shared values and interests, with the aim of ensuring security and prosperity in both countries”.