This New York Times article talks about the disagreement and chaos sparked by preparations for the celebration of Israel’s 70th Independence Day on Wednesday. There was controversy over what was to be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s role in the ceremony and how many words he would be allowed to speak compared to the Knesset speaker, Yuli-Yoel Edelstein. Organizers of the celebration waited too long to invite special guests, and vacillated on the invitation of foreign leaders. There are also political obstacles to overcome, as the event’s main organizer, Miri Regev (Israel’s minister for culture and sport), is seen as being biased towards Prime Minister Netanyahu and viewing Mr. Edelstein as a rival. For many citizens, this ruined what was meant to be a day of celebrating unity. For others, it is simply a showcase of the “informal, freewheeling spirit that is quintessentially Israeli.”
