Lal’s motion on Israel Embassy defeated in Parliament

Opposition MP Ketan Lal's motion to amend the allocation of funds for the establishment of Fiji’s embassy in Israel has been defeated in Parliament.

$1.13 million has been allocated for the establishment of the Israel Mission, however, Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad adds that this amount will be reimbursed.

Ketan Lal raised concerns over the cost of setting up the embassy, saying it would be a significant expense for Fiji.

A point of order was raised by Professor Biman Prasad who clarified that the motion was out of order.

He says the decision to establish the embassy was made by the Cabinet and could not be amended through the Committee of Supply, as it only deals with increasing, decreasing or removing expenditure items.

Professor Prasad says the discussion is only about the allocation of funding.

Lal argued that the situation in the Middle East is unpredictable and establishing an embassy in Israel is risky and questioned what if another missile was launched at Israel.

He says Fiji will have to evacuate its staff and citizens using Fiji Airways.

Minister for Defence Pio Tikoduadua also defended the allocation, stressing that Fiji has important strategic interests in the Middle East, particularly with soldiers involved in peacekeeping.

Tikoduadua says there are not many embassies in the region and that Fijians rely on one another for support.

Lal further says that Fiji already has an embassy in the United Arab Emirates and questioned the need for another in the region.