'Words Kill': Herzog Pleads for Election Civility at Rabin Memorial as Golan Accuses Netanyahu of Stoking Violence

President Isaac Herzog warned that political incitement remains a live danger to Israeli democracy at the state memorial ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin's 1995 assassination, held October 22 at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, according to a report by The Times of Israel. "Words kill," Herzog told the gathering, which included IDF Chief Eyal Zamir, Shin Bet chief David Zini, Police Commissioner Danny Levy and Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, five days before the October 27 election.

Herzog referenced roadside signs calling for the release of Rabin's assassin, Yigal Amir, saying such calls "should keep us awake at night," and vowed he would never grant Amir clemency. He urged every candidate in the current campaign to speak responsibly, invoking Rabin's own final words about preserving the foundations of Israeli democracy.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the ceremony, continuing a streak dating back to 2019. At a separate commemoration at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, the site of the assassination, Democrats party leader Yair Golan directly accused Netanyahu of "creating the conditions for the next Yigal Amir," a charge Golan made while himself facing numerous death threats over the course of his campaign.

The dueling ceremonies underscored how deeply political violence and incitement have become campaign issues in their own right, days before Israelis decide whether to extend Netanyahu's government or replace it.