MK Miri Regev (Likud Beyteynu) has proposed a law by which every event attended by the President of Israel would have to begin with the playing of Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah.
Regev is disturbed by the fact that Hatikvah was not played at the FC Barcelona exhibition game last week, despite the President's attendance, and despite the attendance of other ministers and public figures, and despite the large audience and the tremendous investment by the government to make it successful.
I agree with Regev. I don't know if it should be limited to events attended by the President. In the US all sporting events begin with the national anthem, and it should be that way here too. There is nothing wrong with trying to bolster some patriotism. Besides for sporting events, public events that are government related should all play the anthem, as well as any event that is ממלכתי , state-oriented, in nature.
Then again, it is nothing new that Peres is not interested in the anthem. In his annual birthday bash called "The President's Conference", he does not have Israeli flags on display now does he have the national anthem played at the start and/or end of each day, or of the conference. He claims to be in favor of it, with his spokesperson saying it was a matter of timing that they did not play it at the Barcelona game, but he really has to show us in action that he is favor of it by actually playing it at his events.
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