As a result of a work dispute in the Foreign Ministry, requests to renew diplomatic passports for ministers, MKs and senior civil servants have been ignored. Requests from state employees for visas to foreign countries have also been ignored.

A number of days ago, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni requested to renew her diplomatic passport, but the request was turned down. The same occurred when Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Minister of Culture & Sport Limor Livnat made a request for diplomatic passports.

Ministry of Education Director-General Dalia Stauber also filed a request as she accompanied Minister of Education Rabbi Shai Piron on a trip last week to attend the official ceremony marking 70 years since the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The two traveled using regular passports.

Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger requested a visa to travel to the United States from Poland. When his request was turned down he was compelled to return home from Poland.

Perhaps even more absurd is the refusal of the ministry officials to process visas for bodyguards for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who are scheduled to head to China to set up the upcoming state visit for the prime minister.

Some elected officials have canceled travel plans instead of traveling on a regular, non-diplomatic passport.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)