Deputy minister hosts iftar dinner at Knesset

Deputy Minister Michael Oren is hosting a fast-breaking meal in honor of Ramadan at the Knesset.

Attending the traditional iftar dinner are members of Israel’s Arab and Druze communities, including religious leaders and heads of regional councils, as well as the ambassadors to Israel of Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Paraguay.

The event was originally planned to take place at the Prime Minister’s Office — where Oren has an office — which would have marked the first-ever iftar dinner at the epicenter of Israel’s executive branch.

But the event was moved to the Knesset’s Jerusalem Hall due to a larger-than-expected list of attendees, Oren says. Still, he adds, it is the “first-ever multi-partisan” iftar in the Knesset, even though the only Muslim MK present, Akram Hasson, is also a member of Oren’s Kulanu party.

Addressing his guests, Oren recalls that he started a tradition to hold an iftar dinner at the Israeli embassy in Washington, a tradition that is still observed every year.

“The State of Israel is very proud of its citizens and its minorities — Muslims, Druze, Bedouins, Circassians, Christians,” Oren says. While Israel is a Jewish state, it is situated in the Middle East and honors local traditions.

— Raphael Ahren