“Violence spreads in our streets,” Israeli President Herzog warns
On the 30th anniversary of Rabin’s assassination, the president warns of growing hatred and urges zero tolerance for threats and attacks
At a solemn ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, President Isaac Herzog issued a stark warning about the rise of hatred and political violence in Israel.
Speaking from Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, Herzog lamented that three decades after Rabin was killed by a Jewish extremist, alarming signs of division and aggression remain.
"We still see the same symptoms—if not worse: violent and vulgar language, accusations of treason, poison spreading across social media and public discourse," he said.
The president described the situation as a “strategic threat” to Israeli society, highlighting the increase of verbal and physical violence in the streets, on social media, in schools, and even within state institutions.
Herzog strongly condemned attacks on public officials, judges, military personnel, and government members, including the Prime Minister.
"The State of Israel is not a battlefield, but a home. And in a home, you do not shoot—neither with weapons, nor with words, nor with threats," he said.
Concluding his speech, Herzog called for “zero tolerance toward violence”, urging Israelis to safeguard the hard-won values of national unity and democracy.