Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein is not showing any signs of backing down on his threat to boycott the official torch lighting ceremony on Israel’s 70th Independence Day. Edelstein feels the event is a Knesset-run ceremony exclusively, and as such he and he alone should represent the government. He exclaimed that if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and/or President Reuven Rivlin are invited to speak, he will not attend.

Minister of Culture & Sports (Likud) Miri Regev is in charge of organizing the event, and she invited Edelstein as well as the Prime Minister and President, insisting it is only proper to have them all address the event on Israel’s special 70th anniversary. However, it appears Edelstein does not concur, and he remains unwilling to compromise. While he insists his argument is with Regev, and not with the Prime Minister or President, he remains unwilling to change his position.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)