Ceremony marks 23rd anniversary of Rabin's murder
A youth movements rally took place Sunday at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square where former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated on November 4, 1995; at an official ceremony marking the 23rd anniversary of his death, Rabin's granddaughter slammed elected officials: 'if you do not stop the incitement against anyone who does not conform to your ideas—blood will be shed.'
The ceremony, which began at 6pm Sunday, is a central gathering event of youth movements with the participation of young people from all over the country.
Dalia Rabin-Pelossof, Prof. Yael Tamir, Reno Tzror, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, Yair Tzaban, Nabil Odeh, Rabbi Avi Gisser, Rabbi Yona Goodman, Dr. Haim Assa, Rabbanit Hadassah Fruman, and Ali Zahalka are in attendance.
The event, organized by the "Remembering the Murder" coalition, included discussion circles.
A series of events commemorating Rabin's memory began on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm, the state memorial service took place on Mount Herzl, with the participation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and Supreme Court President Esther Hayut.
Noa Rotman, Rabin's granddaughter spoke at the event. "Only days before he was murdered, my grandfather said he allows himself to ignore whoever calls him a murderer and a traitor—but that does not release him from his responsibility for his welfare and personal safety. 'I am the prime minister of everyone, even those who did not vote for me,' he said. His door was never slammed—no matter how severely he was criticized," Rotman said.
Rotman then addressed the country's elected officials. "Our public emissaries are responsible for the well-being of all of us: civil rights, personal security, the right to be parents and marry, the right to employment, housing and access to health. Welfare and culture are not and should not be prizes for patriotism or associating with government officials. If you do not stop the incitement campaign against anyone who does not conform to your ideas—blood will be shed," she warned.
"My grandfather is beloved and missed by all," Rotman concluded. "It might be a bit late for my country, but perhaps not too late for my daughters. There is a great divide in this country; it is in your power, elected officials, to stop it. Do not stand idly by," Rotman concluded.
Earlier Sunday, President Reuven Rivlin lit the “Ner Yitzhak” memorial candle and spoke at the official ceremony in Jerusalem. “Day by day, the generation that did not know Yitzhak grows. The generation that did not itself sees the dark slippery slope from incitement and hatred to bloodshed," he stated.
"Unfortunately, instead of becoming a bridge between right and left, the memory of the murder caused a rift between them... We must find the way in which the memory of the murder and its lessons will seep into Israeli society as a whole," he emphasized.
Rabin's grandson Yonatan Ben-Artzi also said a few words. "Democracy is not a monarchy. The citizens of the state are not subjects. I hereby call upon the president to work together with Israel's legislators in order to limit the prime minister's term of office. Limiting the term of office is necessary and important to prevent our leaders from becoming kings who separate themselves from the masses," he stressed.
In addition, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot addressed Rabin's assassination in his order of the day. "Twenty-three years have passed since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, which left a deep cut in Israeli society and which became the turning point in the history of the State of Israel. Despite the fact a lot of time has passed and many of those currently on mandatory service were not even born on the eve of the murder, still, we must not forget,” the chief of staff said.
According to a study conducted by the Jewish People Policy Institute, led by Shmuel Rosner, the latest opinion polls indicate that 23 years later, less than half of the Jewish population in Israel (48 percent) say they feel "sad" over Rabin’s assassination.
Meanwhile, more than half of the Jewish population in Israel (53 percent) say that for them the anniversary of the murder is "an ordinary day."
The data also shows that around 15 percent of Israeli Jews plan to attend events dedicated to Rabin, whether big rallies or community memorial events
