Rivlin headed Down Under

ISRAELI President Reuven Rivlin has announced he will visit Australia at the start of next year.

Rivlin made the announcement on Twitter, saying he was “delighted to host a delegation of senior Australian politicians today led by my friend John Howard, the former prime minister.

“We discussed the changes facing the Middle East and the ever-growing close ties between the countries,” Rivlin said.

“I am looking forward to my upcoming visit to Australia at the start of 2020.”

It is the first visit Down Under by an Israeli head of state since Moshe Katsav in 2005.

Politicians across Israel’s political spectrum have been rolling out the red carpet for the cross-party delegation.

The group sat down for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party.

Other participants on the five-day trip – organised by the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs – include Wayne Swan, Alexander Downer, Brendan Nelson and Stephen Conroy.

As well as holding meetings, the group paid an emotional visit to Yad Vashem. On Sunday there was a briefing with the head of the Institute for National Security Studies, Amos Yadlin, and a dinner with Isaac Ben Israel, president of the Israel Space Agency.

In between coalition talks, @gantzbe MK made the time for a constructive meeting with ZFA President @jeremyleibler ZFA CEO @ginettesearle Ambassador @MarkSofer and our wonderful delegation, where they discussed a number of issues including the Malka Leifer issue. pic.twitter.com/yV4NzNdyIy

— Zionist Federation of Australia (@ZionistFedAus) October 28, 2019

ZFA president Jeremy Leibler and CEO Ginette Searle are accompanying the politicians on the trip.

Meanwhile, The AJN understands Leibler raised the issue of Malka Leifer in both the meeting with Netanyahu and Gantz and “sought assurances that any future government would sign the extradition order as soon as the court orders her extradition”.

“The PM and Gantz both confirmed unequivocally that the government would do anything in its power to facilitate the extradition of Malka Leifer,” the ZFA said.

Related coverage: Netanyahu says Israel will extradite Leifer as soon as court okays it