Netanyahu calls off speech at Independence Day ceremony

Cancellation follows outcry over PM’s plan to speak at traditionally apolitical event in Jerusalem

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided not to speak at the national Independence Day Eve torch-lighting ceremony, which will take place this year on the evening of May 1.

According to the Hadashot television news network, formerly Channel 2, the cancellation of Netanyahu’s planned address came after widespread criticism over his intention to speak at the Mount Herzl ceremony, which is broadcast live on national TV and marks the official start of Independence Day celebrations nationwide.

The ceremony is an apolitical event overseen by the speaker of the Knesset, and prime ministers have not traditionally been invited to speak.

According to the report, the Prime Minister’s Office chalked up the cancellation to the prohibitive security expenses the speech would have entailed.