Israel’s Foreign Ministry is establishing new criteria regarding eligibility for a diplomatic passport. The passport is more than a status symbol, for in many countries one does not have to wait on lines upon arrival, in some countries it entitles the bearer to a less stringent security inspection and in some countries, it offers VIP lounges and discounts on purchases.
Foreign Ministry officials announce the party’s over, explaining many of the hundreds who received the passport in the past will no longer benefit from the diplomatic status on travel abroad. While in the past hundreds of employees in the IDF, Prime Minister’s Office, Finance Ministry, Defense Ministry, ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet), Mossad and Israel Police received a diplomatic passport, that list is being sharply curtailed. Regarding government employees, only one of the rank of director-general and higher will be entitled to the passport.
Regarding officials who were entitled in the past and continue to receive the diplomatic status today, this will be limited to a former president, president of the Supreme Court, prime minister, foreign minister and chief rabbis only.
While in the past a cabinet minister was permitted to hold on to a diplomatic passport for a year after leaving the post, the new regulation demands turning it in immediately upon leaving office. Former career ‘professional’ diplomats will be permitted to benefit from the passport their entire lives while ‘politically appointed’ diplomats will not. The Foreign Ministry’s director-general will also be entitled to confiscate the passport from one convicted of a crime, including a former prime minister and president. However if the person is elected to Knesset he will be entitled in accordance with the law.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
US Congressmen and Senators get diplomatic passports. Decades ago I was in an excruciatingly long immigration line, and about ten places behind me were Sen. Sam Nunn and Rep. Hamilton Fish. They could have bypassed the line with their diplomatic passports, but they stood in line along with the rest of us. I respected them tremendously for not making use of their congressional perks.