Tens of thousands gathered in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square to commemorate the 30th anniversary of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination. Organizers estimated that around 150,000 people attended the tribute late on Saturday.
Former Chief of General Staff Gadi Eisenkot addressed the crowd, noting that past leaders took responsibility for their actions—a sense of accountability he implied is missing from today’s Israeli leadership. His remarks were met with applause and were widely read as a critique of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has denied responsibility for the October 7, 2023, massacre carried out by Hamas.
Rabin was shot dead on November 4, 1995, by a Jewish extremist after a peace rally in which he advocated concessions to the Palestinians. The assassination followed a right‑wing incitement campaign that vilified the prime minister. Commemoration organizers highlighted this “unrestrained smear campaign” and condemned the “despicable assassin” who murdered Rabin, underscoring the damage to the peace process.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid also spoke, stressing that the killing was not merely an attack on a leader but an attempt to undermine the very idea of peace. The Oslo peace process, agreed in 1993, had already faced challenges, but Rabin’s death marked a turning point that severely weakened it. The two‑state solution Rabin pursued is now considered difficult to achieve and has been rejected by Netanyahu.
Eisenkot linked the assassination directly to polarization and incitement. Netanyahu has been accused of fostering a political climate that made the attack more likely, having spoken at a Jerusalem demonstration a month before the murder where protesters displayed Rabin in a Nazi uniform. Moreover, far‑right National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir had earlier shown a broken emblem from the prime minister’s official limousine on television and threatened, “We can reach Rabin.”
The commemoration served as a reminder of Rabin’s legacy and the ongoing quest for peace in the region, highlighting the need for responsible leadership and the dangers of incitement and polarization. As Israel navigates its complex political landscape, the anniversary of Rabin’s assassination remains a poignant call to promote peace and stability.
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