Upper House Speaker Enaam Mayara, who was expected to visit Israel’s Knesset on Thursday, has had to postpone his trip due to a medical emergency, reported Israeli news website “I24.”
Mayara, who was already en route in the Middle East, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday night in Amman, Jordan, according to a joint statement from the Knesset and the Moroccan Upper House.
“After a medical examination,” the statement said, “the professional staff at the hospital decided to hospitalize Mayara for further tests and follow-up. Because of this, his arrival in Ramallah, which was planned for this morning, was canceled in the afternoon hours, and in light of his ongoing medical condition and the medical team’s opinion — it was decided a little while ago to cancel his arrival to the Knesset tomorrow as well.” The statement did not provide any details of his ongoing medical condition.
Mayara was to be the first Moroccan official and one of the few Muslim leaders ever to set foot in the Knesset. “I apologize for being unable to attend the Knesset due to a medical emergency,” he said. “I know a lot of work went into the preparations for my visit, and I’d like to express my gratitude to all partners.”
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana replied that Mayara’s visit had been intended to be one of the highlights of cementing ties between the two countries. Ohana wished him a speedy and complete recovery.
The visit was intended to reinforce the Morocco-U.S.A.-Israel trilateral agreement signed in December 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the parliamentary institutions of Morocco and Israel. It will be rescheduled after Mayara returns to Morocco.