JERUSALEM — As Israelis prepared for today’s celebrations of their country’s 60th anniversary, something was missing from the usual rituals: the prime minister’s annual interviews with the local media.
Faced with a new corruption probe by police, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert canceled the interviews, which have become Independence Day fixtures and often platforms for upbeat assessments of the government’s performance and the road ahead.
With officials indicating that the matter under investigation was serious, Olmert chose to avoid the inevitable questions, even as an extraordinarily strict, court-imposed gag order banned media reports of the probe’s details.
The brewing scandal, which has heightened uncertainty about Olmert’s political future, has put a damper on Israel’s 60th birthday party, to be celebrated with a full calendar of official events complementing the traditional national pastime: barbecues with family and friends.
The scandal also could cast a shadow over a visit to Israel next week by President Bush to participate in the anniversary commemorations.
