The Israel Police on Sunday canceled the scheduled appearance of dozens of its officers as audience members on the Independence Day segment of a right-wing talk show, after the prospect of their participation sparked controversy.

The move, first reported by Ynet, was a last-minute reversal from last week, when police defended the plan to send some 70 officers — including senior members of the force — to attend the filming of The Patriots, the flagship show of the conservative, pro-government Channel 14.

The segment was set to be filmed on Monday and would have aired on Independence Day, which falls on Wednesday.

The appearance wouldn’t have been the first time security forces in uniform were invited to join a talk show’s studio audience for Independence Day. But the show and its firebrand host, Yinon Magal, are known for making contentious statements, and critics say its pundits and anchors frequently engage in incendiary and hyperbolic rhetoric against those it perceives as hostile to the government.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, whose ministry oversees the police, is a frequent guest on the show.

The filming was set to take place during work hours. Speaking to Haaretz, unnamed sources in law enforcement vented frustration at the prospect of sending police to take part in a show with an unabashed ideological........

© The Times of Israel