Transportation Minister Miri Regev will try to convince Opposition Leader Yair Lapid to agree to participate in the torch ceremony to be held on Independence Day next week, Channel 12 reported on Friday.
This was reported after Lapid announced that he would not participate in the ceremony as a form of protest against the judicial reform and the government.
According to the report, Regev is expected to call Lapid at the end of Shabbat and ask him to go to Mount Herzl anyway, out of a "message of unity," since these days "politics must be set aside."
However, Lapid is unlikely to reverse his decision, having declared that he "will not participate in government propaganda broadcasts" and announced: "In the 75th year of the state, we will be sad together, we will only be happy separately."
Netanyahu's recorded speech
According to the report, the main issue Lapid is dwelling on is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recorded speech, which is expected to be broadcasted during the ceremony, although there is still no decision on whether it will be broadcasted.
"If they want the torch ceremony to belong to everyone, don't turn it into a political show."
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid
In addition, according to the report, "Until the start of Shabbat, discussions were held on the issue of preventing provocations at the torch event and it was decided that there would be ushers who would search the bags of everyone."
However, it was reported that the crowd who came with protest shirts would be required to change.
As noted, this attempt to persuade Lapid comes after the unusual joint statement he issued at noon with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and National Unity Chairman Benny Gantz, in which they called on the public to respect Memorial Day and "leave the disputes out of the cemeteries."
Lapid addressed the matter and explained his decision last night in a lengthy post: "It is with a heavy heart that I have decided not to go to the torch ceremony this year. Avigdor Khalani deserves more than a split-screen country, including David Blatt.
"We all deserve a country where, on it's birthday, there is love and it will win. But if it were, they would spare us Netanyahu's recorded speech and the torchlighter who is a centrist member and Regev's provocative announcement that 'this is a ceremony of the government, not of the Knesset.'
"If they want the torch ceremony to belong to everyone, don't turn it into a political show."
He added: "Last year, when we led the government, Netanyahu didn't come to the ceremony. I don't want to hate anyone, I just don't participate in government propaganda broadcasts.
"I signed the call not to involved Holocaust Remembrance Day and Memorial Day in protest. I will be, as always, in the military cemetery. Bereavement is where internal debate must not be allowed to enter. In the 75th year of the state, we will be sad together, we will only be happy separately."