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COP26 Inaccessible For Israeli Minister In Wheelchair

COP26 Inaccessible For Israeli Minister In Wheelchair

Israel’s energy minister was unable to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) summit in Glasgow on Monday because the transportation offered to her was not accessible by wheelchair.

Karine Elharrar who was interviewed on Israel’s Channel 12, said she could not reach the conference grounds because the only options to get there from the gathering area where to walk or board a shuttle that was not suited for a wheelchair.

“I came to COP26 to meet my counterparts in the world and advance our joint struggle against the climate crisis,” Elharrar wrote on Twitter. “It’s sad that the United Nations, which promotes accessibility for people with disabilities, in 2021 doesn’t worry about accessibility at its own events.”

Elharrar waited outside the venue for almost two hours but was eventually forced to return to her hotel in Edinburgh. She said she hoped a solution would be found.

Israel’s foreign minister called out the conference organizers, saying: “It is impossible to worry about the future, the climate, and about people if we do not first take care of human beings, accessibility, and disabilities.”

The British ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, apologized for the mishap.

“I am disturbed to hear that Karine Elharrar was unable to attend meetings at COP26. I apologize deeply and sincerely to the minister. We want a COP Summit that is welcoming and inclusive to everyone,” Wigan said on Twitter.

COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. It is being held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, between 31 October and 12 November 2021, under the presidency of Alok Sharma.

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