An Israeli minister was unable to attend the UN’s COP26 climate summit in Glasgow earlier this week because of her wheelchair, prompting furor and a belated apology by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, who has muscular dystrophy, traveled to Glasgow for the summit, but was refused entry in her adapted vehicle.
After waiting outside the compound for two hours, organizers finally offered a shuttle transport, but the vehicle was not was not wheelchair accessible. The energy minister was forced to return to her hotel in Edinburgh.
Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar waits for the start of a meeting on day three of COP26 at SECC on November 2, 2021 in Glasgow, United Kingdom. COP26 is the 2021 climate summit in Glasgow. (Alberto Pezzali – Pool / Getty Images)
In a tweet, she said it was “sad” the U.N. “does not provide accessibility to its events.”
“The only way they said I could come in was to walk on foot for almost a kilometer, or to board a shuttle which was not wheelchair accessible,” she told Channel 12 news.
“This is scandalous conduct and it shouldn’t have happened,” Elharrar told the Ynet news site. “I came with certain goals, and I couldn’t achieve them today.”
“The U.N. calls on everyone to adhere to the international treaty,” she said, presumable referring to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “So it is appropriate for there to be accessibility at its events.”
Johnson apologized to Elharrar a day later when he met her together with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“I gather there was some confusion with the arrangements yesterday. I’m very, very sorry about that,” Johnson told the Israeli minister.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) is introduced to Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar (L) as he meets with Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (C) on the sidelines of the COP26 Climate Conference at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, Scotland on November 2, 2021. (ALBERTO PEZZALI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“I’m very, very sorry about that,” the British premier added.
British Environment Secretary George Eustice called the incident “deeply regrettable” but later seemed to blame the Israeli delegation for not “communicating that they had that particular need for their minister.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid slammed the U.N. over the move. “It is impossible to take care of the future, the climate, and sustainability if we don’t first take care of people, accessibility, and people with disabilities,” he said in a statement.
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