Israeli Election Official Sets Limits Around Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s upcoming speech to Congress is already fairly controversial in the U.S. over the timing and John Boehner extending the invitation without consulting the White House, but it’s also stirring up some issues in Israel too. One of his opponents recently claimed the address would endanger Israel’s national security.

The Meretz Party filed a petition last week to prevent Israeli media outlets from broadcasting Netanyahu’s address, claiming he would use it to campaign, but Israel’s attorney general rejected it and said Israeli media outlets will be able to carry the address.

But not without limits.

Salim Joubran, the head of Israel’s election commission, issued a statement today explaining that networks should air Netanyahu’s speech with a five-minute delay. Why that long? Well, to potentially edit certain things out:

“Editors-in-chief of broadcast channels will watch and make sure that nothing the prime minister says can be construed as election campaigning. Any campaigning will be omitted from the broadcast.”

All television and radio outlets are bound to enforce this when Netanyahu speaks on March 3rd.

[image via ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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