Israel Commemorates 31st Anniversary of Rabin Assassination

Israel is marking the 31st anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin with two state memorial ceremonies on Thursday. The first, "Ner Yitzhak," will be held at the President's Residence in Jerusalem at 1:00 PM, followed by the main memorial ceremony for Yitzhak and Leah Rabin at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem at 3:00 PM. The Mount Herzl ceremony also commemorates 26 years since the passing of Leah Rabin.

President Yitzhak Herzog addressed the "Ner Yitzhak" ceremony, stating that the three bullets fired 31 years ago targeted not only Rabin but also "the heart of the nation." He emphasized that the assassin sought to resolve disputes through violence, threatening Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state. Herzog strongly condemned any calls for the release of assassin Yigal Amir, citing a sign he saw on Highway 1. He warned that such calls, if met with indifference, pose a grave danger to society's perception of murder as an absolute taboo.

"Thirty-one years is not a cooling-off period for the murder of a prime minister, and the distance from the crime does not diminish its severity," Herzog declared. He unequivocally stated, "The national imperative that must pass from us to future generations is clear and unambiguous: the murderer must never be released. He must finish his life in prison. He must never receive any reduction or pardon. This must not be challenged in any way." The President also cautioned against threats against elected officials and incitement to political violence, asserting, "There is no place for political violence in a proper state. There is no place for violence, period."

The Mount Herzl ceremony will be attended by President Herzog and his wife Michal, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Gila Gamliel, Deputy Knesset Speaker Simone Davidson, Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Inspector General Dani Levi, and Shin Bet head David Zini, among other senior officials. The ceremony will begin with the lighting of a memorial torch by great-grandchildren Omer Rotman and Adam Ben Artzi, followed by grandson Yonatan Ben Artzi reciting Kaddish and speaking on behalf of the family. The event will include the laying of wreaths, prayers, and musical performances, concluding with "Hatikvah."