Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was supposed to deliver an initial statement of support for the draft law being promoted in the Knesset, but canceled it just minutes before the scheduled time.
This is an unusual event, as the Prime Minister had planned to deliver a recorded statement that was supposed to be broadcast live, without questions from journalists.
In recent days, Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri has exerted heavy pressure on the Prime Minister to stand behind the draft law both in his vote and his public announcements.