Senior members of the Blue and White Party appealed to Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev, demanding that during the international leaders' fight against anti-Semitism conference in three weeks Benny Gantz also speak, not only Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Yad Vashem refused the request, Channel 13 News reported.
The conference will be attended by leaders from all over the world, including Russian President Vlodymyr Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and even Prince Charles of the United Kingdom.
Due to the fact that the conference will be a high-profile media event, senior Blue and White officials demanded that their prime ministerial candidate receive the same speech time as Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Speaking to Yad Vashem, the senior officials demanded that in light of the unique political situation, the event should be balanced and Gantz be allotted a speech. In addition, the party also addressed President Reuven Rivlin.
Gantz' bureau said, "For months now there have been official ceremonies in which only Netanyahu speaks and gives political addresses. We know what Netanyahu will make out of this ceremony and it is time for it to stop. Gantz needs to get an identical platform to Netanyahu and he plans to give a state speech and not a political one."
Yad Vashem said in response, "The World Holocaust Forum to be held at Yad Vashem is an international event. The speakers will be a number of state leaders, including Israeli leaders - the country's president and prime minister."