Miri Regev
Miri RegevMarc Israel Sellem/Flash 90

Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev responded Wednesday to the Jerusalem mayor's call for the cancellation of support for a joint memorial ceremony for Jews and Arabs that is to take place at the Barbur gallery in the city.

"I received with great surprise your request to work to cancel the controversial event known as the “Joint Memorial Ceremony,” to be held at the Barbur gallery tomorrow. As you know, the authority to do so is in your hands, as the mayor of the city in charge of the property, and not in the hands of my office, which does not at all support the event at hand. Remember, the law prohibits political use of a municipal property, and I demand that you implement its instructions, "said Minister Regev.

She sharply criticized the mayor. "It would have been expected that you exert your authority as mayor to make sure the event is cancelled, rather than make political gains and headlines at my expense. This is an event that undermines the values ​​of the state, and its purpose is to praise terrorists who have acted to harm the citizens of the state of Israel. It is therefore the duty of the Jerusalem Municipality to ensure that such ceremonies do not take place in properties supported by municipal funds."

Regev had already sent a letter to Barkat two months ago, writing, "I expect that the relevant officials in the municipality will prevent the event from taking place in the municipal property, as required by the opinion of the city's legal advisor, which forbids the Barbur gallery from holding events of a political nature in the property."